“Which Number Story Should I Use?” 

One common request I hear from educators is this: “Can you just give us a bank of word problems?”

It’s a completely understandable ask. Planning math instruction is hard, and teachers want high-quality materials they can trust. But at Structures of Equality, there’s no one-size-fits-all word problem bank, and there’s a good reason why.

Instead of focusing on giving you more problems, we want to help you choose the right problems. Because the truth is: One well-chosen number story can do more for student understanding than five rushed ones.

Let’s talk about how to know which problems are worth your time, and your students’.

Why One Story Is Enough

In many classrooms, the goal is to “get through” several word problems during a lesson. But what if we flipped that idea?

What if you spent most of your math block on just one problem? One story (or maybe two) that students could wrestle with, model, and discuss deeply?

Our focus should always be on helping students make sense of the relationships in a story, not just the numbers. That means going deep matters more than moving fast.

How to Choose a Number Story That Supports Sense-Making

There’s no formula for the perfect word problem, but there are key considerations that can help you make thoughtful choices. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Start With What You Have

You don’t need to create brand-new problems from scratch.

Start by asking: Are there already strong problems in my curriculum? 

If so, use those. If not, can you adapt the wording or the context to better suit your students? Only when those first two options don’t work should you think about creating something from scratch.

Yes, adapting or writing new problems can feel like more work. But here’s the tradeoff: Reteaching or intervening later because students didn’t understand the story? That’s even harder.

When you’re reviewing problems in your curriculum, also ask: Is this problem inviting students to think?

Sometimes a problem is so straightforward that the operation or solution is immediately obvious. But that’s not always helpful. Students benefit most from problems that require sense-making, that offer multiple entry points or encourage them to model and reason about relationships, not just apply procedures.

Look for stories that require students to pause, make sense of the situation, and talk. Those are the ones worth doing.

Context Should Support Comprehension, Not Complicate It

Context matters, and not just for engagement. It affects whether students can access the math.

Sometimes a context is so unrelatable, your students might not understand or care about the story. Here’s an example of one that might feel inaccessible or uninteresting:

At the annual yacht club meeting, 14 crew members voted on a new sail design. 6 voted for blue, and the rest voted for red. How many voted for red?

This is a math story you might choose to skip or modify. 

In some cases, context could be an opportunity, not a reason to avoid a scenario. Let’s say a story takes place at a bodega or a dinner party. That might be a context that you know is familiar for some of your students. For others, it might be completely unknown. 

Try asking: “I noticed the word ‘bodega’ in this problem. That’s not a word we usually see in number stories. Does anyone know what it means and want to help us out?”

This small move values the cultural knowledge your students bring to the classroom. Instead of removing “unfamiliar” words, you turn them into discussion points that honor students’ diverse experiences. That is sense-making.

Choose Contexts That Feel Real and Relevant

Familiar doesn’t always mean engaging. Some kids may understand a picnic, but be more excited to solve a story about soccer or video games.

Use your students’ interests to your advantage. When a word problem reflects something they care about, their curiosity and effort naturally increase. One easy modification is to use your students’ names. That small personalization makes a big difference.

Be Strategic With Key words

Early on, avoid problems that include strong operation hints like “more,” “together,” or “in all”.

Why? Because those words can steer students toward shortcuts, not understanding.

Later, reintroduce keyword-laden problems for two key reasons:

• Exposure: Students will see them on standardized tests, so they need practice interpreting them meaningfully.
• Critical Thinking: Some problems use misleading keywords, which opens the door to valuable discussions.

For example, stories with comparison situations often include “more” even though they’re looking for a difference. That’s a great teaching moment. 

You Don’t Have to Choose a “Perfect” Story

If a word problem is clear enough to support comprehension, interesting enough to spark engagement, and aligned with your lesson goal, that’s enough.

You’re not trying to find a unicorn. You’re trying to find a story that supports sense-making and invites conversation.

No bank of problems can replace your professional judgment. The most powerful number stories aren’t universal. They’re purposeful, accessible, and just right for your students.