• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Multiplication and division word problems; Column addition and subtraction). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. A small theatre has 8 rows of seats with 7 seats in each row. How many seats are there? → 56Prompt: Equal rows: is this multiplication or division?
2. Use column addition: 5211 + 3557 → 8768Prompt: Line up the digits by place value, ones under ones.
3. Lucia has 18 photos to put in an album. Each page holds 3 photos. How many pages will Lucia fill? → 6Prompt: How many groups of the page size fit into the total?

• Show an array of chairs, eggs or windows and ask how many there are without counting one by one.
• Share the objective: Choose the operation for a word problem. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which operation solves this? Omar has 54 oranges and gives away 9. How many are left?
• Step 1: 54 − 9 = 45
• Step 2: So you subtract; the answer is 45.
• Step 3: subtract
• Answer: subtract
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Which operation solves this? Sam has 8 bags with 7 oranges in each. How many oranges? (multiply / divide / add / subtract) → multiplyPrompt: Are you joining, taking away, making equal groups or sharing?
2. Aisha reads 8 pages every day for 6 days. Which number sentence gives the total pages? (48 ÷ 6 / 8 − 6 / 6 × 8 / 6 + 8) → 6 × 8Prompt: The same number of pages is read each day.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Which operation solves this? Ethan has 15 oranges and buys 5 more. How many now? (multiply / divide / add / subtract) → addPrompt: Are you joining, taking away, making equal groups or sharing?
2. Aisha reads 5 pages every day for 6 days. Which number sentence gives the total pages? (30 ÷ 6 / 6 + 5 / 5 − 6 / 6 × 5) → 6 × 5Prompt: The same number of pages is read each day.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-3.