"My child can do the sum, but freezes when it's a word problem." If that sounds familiar, this article is for you.
Step 1: Read it twice
Once for the gist, once for the numbers. Don't try to do both in one read.
Step 2: Underline the question
What is actually being asked? "How many oranges?" "How much change?" Pinning this down stops children solving the wrong thing.
Step 3: Translate to a sum
"Sara has three times as many marbles as Tom" → "Sara = 3 × Tom". Word-by-word translation. Practice now on word problems to drill this.
Step 4: Check the answer is realistic
An answer of "120 children fit in the room" should ring alarm bells. Sense-checking catches many slips.