---
title: "Multi-Step Problem Solving"
description: "With teacher support, make sense of multi-step problems involving larger numbers or mixed operations by breaking them into parts, choosing strategies, and checking answers for reasonableness — childre"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/multi-step-problem-solving-mt_RKeheOL9uo
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/multi-step-problem-solving-mt_RKeheOL9uo.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Multi-Step Problem Solving

With teacher support, make sense of multi-step problems involving larger numbers or mixed operations by breaking them into parts, choosing strategies, and checking answers for reasonableness — children at this stage are developing the habit with guidance; independent strategy evaluation comes later

Subject: Mathematics · Area: Mathematical Thinking · Ages 7 to 8
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/multi-step-problem-solving-mt_RKeheOL9uo

## Ready when they can

- Break a two-step word problem within 1000 into sub-problems and solve each part
- Estimate an answer before calculating to set a reasonableness benchmark
- Check an answer using a different method or inverse operation and revise if needed

## Lesson: Solving Problems in Steps

Some maths problems ask you to do more than one thing, like working out how many muffins are left after a sale. First you solve one part, then you use that answer to solve the next part. Breaking a big problem into small steps makes it much easier.

*(drawing: Ravi had 24 stickers. He found 15 more, then 8 more. Each hop is one step of the problem.)*

**Example.** A baker makes 4 trays of 9 muffins, then sells 15 muffins. Step 1: 4 x 9 = 36 muffins made. Step 2: 36 - 15 = 21 muffins left. Before working it out, the baker guessed about 20 would be left. The real answer, 21, is close to that guess, so it makes sense.

Once you have an answer, check it a different way. If you added two numbers, try subtracting one back off. If your check does not match, look for your mistake and try again. You can also round to estimate first. Round each number to the nearer hundred: 840 rounds to 800 and 410 rounds to 400, so 800 minus 400 is about 400.

**Recap.** Break the problem into steps, guess first, then check your answer a different way to be sure it makes sense.

## Practice

17 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Trying a new approach](https://lightmysky.com/learn/learning-to-learn/trying-a-new-approach-mt_95zxYqpP7m)
- [Building sentences](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/building-sentences-mt_N8CpN1EJrP)
- [Guided Multi-Step Problem Solving](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/guided-multi-step-problem-solving-mt_O_UOTiMvT_)
- [Estimating by rounding](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/estimating-by-rounding-mt_QaYfeVL-0C)
- [Missing number problems (age 7+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/missing-number-problems-age-7-mt_XuHmIn2xje)

## Opens up

- [Choosing a strategy](https://lightmysky.com/learn/learning-to-learn/choosing-a-strategy-mt_q7zxOloj_L)
- [Multi-Step Problem Solving (age 8+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/multi-step-problem-solving-age-8-mt_SmghasIvbT)