School Leadership 2.0 Newsletter

Instruction & Pedagogy | Making Math Story Problems Work for Every Learner

4 Ways to Make Story Problems More Engaging and Accessible

Many math story problems are well designed on paper but fall flat in real classrooms because they assume uniform reading ability, background knowledge, and processing speed. In her Edutopia article, Kathy Minas offers four practical, classroom-tested strategies that help teachers adapt scripted story problems so they are more engaging, inclusive, and accessible for diverse learners. These small instructional shifts reduce language barriers, strengthen comprehension, and increase student ownership — without requiring a curriculum overhaul.

Minas begins with a core reality educators know well: teacher editions and scripted programs are written for “typical” classrooms, not the specific students sitting in front of us. Differences in vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, processing time, and prior experience can turn a math task into a literacy obstacle. Her four strategies are designed to lower unnecessary cognitive load so students can focus on mathematical thinking rather than decoding text.

1️⃣ Begin With an Image

The first strategy is to introduce the story problem with a relevant visual before reading the text. Teachers display an image connected to the scenario and ask, “What do you notice?” Students discuss observations through turn-and-talk or whole-group sharing. This approach creates a shared context, activates prior knowledge, and gives every learner an entry point into the problem — including multilingual learners and students who struggle with reading. It also builds confidence because students can contribute before numbers and operations appear.

2️⃣ Preview Key Vocabulary

Story problems often contain context words that block comprehension. Minas recommends briefly previewing potentially unfamiliar terms before students attempt the problem. Students can help identify tricky words and define them together, or teachers can front-load vocabulary in small groups. This quick step prevents misunderstanding and supports independent problem solving. Importantly, vocabulary preview is not about over-explaining — it is about removing avoidable language barriers that are unrelated to the math objective.

3️⃣ Omit the Numbers at First

In this strategy, teachers present the full story problem — but with the numbers removed. Students first work to understand the situation and relationships before calculating anything. They ask clarifying questions and describe what is happening mathematically. Only after comprehension is established are the numbers revealed. This helps students who tend to rush into computation and those who need more processing time. It also shifts attention from “What operation do I do?” to “What is this problem actually asking?” — a key mathematical habit of mind.

4️⃣ Offer Differentiated Number Sets

The final strategy addresses readiness differences through structured differentiation. Instead of giving one fixed set of numbers, teachers provide multiple number sets for the same story structure — for example, an easier set, a grade-level set, and an extension set. Students choose which set to use and can complete additional sets if ready. This creates multiple entry points while preserving a shared classroom task. Minas emphasizes that student choice matters: learners build self-awareness and ownership when selecting their challenge level, with teacher coaching as needed.

For instructional leaders, these strategies model high-impact differentiation that is simple, scalable, and immediately actionable. They align with UDL principles, multilingual supports, and cognitive load research. They also fit well into coaching cycles and PLC conversations because they are observable and easy to implement.

The larger message is clear: when we adjust how we launch and frame story problems, we increase access without lowering rigor. Small design moves can unlock deeper mathematical engagement for more students.

Original Article

Source: Kathy Minas, Edutopia, February 3, 2026 — “4 Ways to Make Story Problems More Engaging and Accessible”

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com