Primary 3 Maths | Two-Step Word Problems: Tutor Prep Guide | 45 minutes from reading the question to writing both number sentences

2026-11-08

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Maths

The dividing line in Primary 3 word problems is not arithmetic, it is having to calculate twice. Nine out of ten lost marks come from writing a single number sentence, not from shaky times tables.

Objectives — Pupils can: (1) circle what is being asked and count how many numbers are unused; (2) name the middle amount, for example boxes times pencils per box; (3) write the solution as two number sentences, adding brackets when needed; (4) give the answer with a unit and one sentence that answers the question.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Times tables	7 x 8	56
Two-digit addition and subtraction	48 + 27	75
Division	36 divided by 4	9
Finding the question	In a how many are left question, is that the first or last step?	The last step

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0–8 min	Starter: a one-step question	Give twelve pencils in a box, four boxes, how many altogether	Writes 12 x 4 = 48
8–16 min	Add one condition	Add fifteen used up, ask how many are left, ask what changed	Says total first, then subtract
16–25 min	Circle the question, count the numbers	Model circling the question and the numbers, counting how many steps are needed	Circles every item and says two steps
25–33 min	Add then divide, with brackets	Eighteen plus twenty-four, shared into six groups: why the bracket, then two lines	Writes the middle amount 42
33–42 min	Three independent items	Walk the room checking only that the middle amount is written	All three show two lines
42–45 min	Exit check	Three quick questions, only the first step has to be named	Names the middle amount

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Ask what the first step finds before allowing any working

Pupils multiply on sight because nobody demands the middle amount out loud. Ask what the first step is meant to find, and require a noun with a unit: how many pencils in total, not forty-eight.
If the middle amount can be named, a two-step problem becomes two one-step problems. If it cannot, no amount of practice helps.

Pupil says: what does step one find, and what unit does it carry?

Scene 2: Two number sentences, not one long chain

Children write 12 x 4 = 48 minus 15 = 33, where the two sides are not equal. Insist on two lines: 12 x 4 = 48 pencils, then 48 minus 15 = 33 pencils.
Two lines also let a tutor see instantly whether the error sits in step one or step two.

Pupil reads both lines aloud, first line then second.

Scene 3: The question decides the last step, not the order of numbers

Thirty-two pupils into four groups, each group into two teams: the last step is dividing by two. Pupils divide by two then by four because that is the order on the page; the answer happens to match, but the reasoning breaks on any variation.
Have them tell the story in one sentence first, then choose the last step.

Pupil says: which question does the last step answer?

Scene 4: Answers need a unit and a sentence

Pupils hand in 33 and stop. Model the full answer: thirty-three pencils left.
Exam answer lines usually read how many are left with a blank, so the number and the unit both have to be right, and the unit is part of the answer.

Pupil reads the full sentence, not just the number.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Multiply then subtract	Twelve per box, four boxes, fifteen used, how many left	12 x 4 = 48, then 48 minus 15	33 pencils
Add then divide	Eighteen red and twenty-four blue balls shared into six groups	18 + 24 = 42, then 42 divided by 6	7 per group
Divide then divide	Thirty-two pupils into four groups, each group into two teams	32 divided by 4 = 8, then 8 divided by 2	4 per team
Multiply then compare	Fifty dollars, three books at twelve dollars, change	3 x 12 = 36, then 50 minus 36	14 dollars change

Sanity check (teach this): Reality checks: two number sentences are visible, or one with a bracket; the middle amount has a name and a unit; the unit in the answer matches the question, people not groups; a subtract step gives a smaller number than the total; a divide step gives a smaller number than the sum; the answer ends with a sentence about the situation.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Four multiply then subtract items	Two where the amount used is more than half the total	Check the middle amount is written down
Three add then divide items	One needs brackets, one suits two lines	Check the order of operations
Three write-your-own items	Two numbers and a context, pupil writes the question	Check the last step can be named

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Only one number sentence	12 x 4 = 48 and stops	The question says left over. You found the total, so there is still one step to go.
Chaining equals signs	12 x 4 = 48 minus 15 = 33	Both sides of an equals sign must match. 48 is not 33, so use two lines.
Wrong order	32 divided by 2 divided by 4	Tell the story: groups first, teams second. The order is reversed.
Answer without a unit	Writes 33	Thirty-three what? Pencils or children? The exam blank needs the unit.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 3 maths paper drills — Section on what each paper tests: eight word problems, two number sentences each

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Twelve per box, four boxes, fifteen used. How many left?	12 x 4 = 48, 48 minus 15 = 33 pencils	Wrong: reteach finding the total first
Eighteen red and twenty-four blue balls into six groups. How many per group?	18 + 24 = 42, 42 divided by 6 = 7	Wrong: reteach brackets and order
Fifty dollars, three books at twelve dollars. Change?	3 x 12 = 36, 50 minus 36 = 14 dollars	Wrong: reteach finding the amount spent

09 Tutor FAQ

Which year does this topic belong to?

Primary 3 in Hong Kong, where the four operations are combined. Primary 2 can preview it later in the year if times tables are secure.

Is 45 minutes enough?

Yes, if every question has its middle amount named. Six careful items beat ten rushed ones.

Is there a matching worksheet?

Yes. The homework section links to our Primary 3 maths drill guide, and all practice and exit items on this page include answers.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.