Solving Story Problems -- Use Smaller Numbers

I have found that many children can't solve story problems because they can't visualize the numbers. They are too big for them. This difficulty first appears in second grade, and if it's not addressed early, it just gets worse as they go up in the grades.
Here's my way to handle big numbers in story problems: If the problem has three numbers, have them substitute 2 for the smallest, 6 for the largest, and 3 for the other. If four numbers are used, they should substitute 2 for the smallest, 12 for the largest, and 3 and 6 for the others. By using these numbers, the answer always comes out even with no remainders.
Many times, students get the answer but don't know how they did it. Perhaps it's just intuition. By writing the equation and their answer, the students can figure what process they used to get there. Then they can substitute the original numbers in the equation and get the correct answer.
For example, if John is going from Miami to Naples, a distance of 150 miles, and traveling at 50 miles an hour, how long will it take him to get there? Because the numbers are large, students can be thrown by this. If the students substitute 6 for 150 miles, and 2 for 50, the answer (3) becomes apparent and so does the process (division). So they would write 150 divided by 50. -- Math Teacher
Answer: Try this technique with your children when they are having difficulty with story problems. Young children who are just learning how to solve story problems can also draw pictures or use hands-on materials so that they can see a problem. And remember this, the more practice your children have in solving story problems, the more successful they will become. If their teacher only assigns the even problems, have them do the odds, too.