How Model Drawing Helps Kids Understand Word Problems Better
- genieeduhub
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
“I know how to calculate… but I don’t know what the question wants!” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many children can handle straightforward sums — but when it comes to word problems, they freeze.
This is where model drawing (also called the bar model method) becomes a game-changer.
At Genie Education Hub, we use this simple but powerful technique to help students see the problem, not just read it.
Why Word Problems Feel So Tricky
Word problems test more than just math skills — they test comprehension and logic. Students have to understand the story, translate words into numbers, and decide what operation to use. That’s a lot to juggle!
Without a clear visual plan, many end up guessing or using formulas blindly. Model drawing acts as the missing bridge between words and numbers — turning abstract language into clear, logical visuals.
What Is Model Drawing, Exactly?
Model drawing is a method where children use bars or rectangles to represent quantities in a problem. It helps them visualise relationships like “part–whole,” “difference,” and “comparison.”
For example:
Amy has 24 stickers. Ben has 3 times as many stickers as Amy. How many stickers do they have altogether?
A student draws one bar for Amy (24), three equal bars for Ben, and suddenly — it’s obvious that Ben has 72, and together they have 96.
Instead of guessing operations, the child sees the math happening.
Instead of guessing operations, the child sees the math happening.
Why It Works — The Brain Science
The human brain loves visuals. When children draw models, they’re engaging both logical and visual-spatial parts of the brain. This helps them retain understanding longer and reduces the cognitive load of juggling too many abstract numbers.
In short, model drawing turns complex problems into mental pictures — and that’s exactly how strong problem solvers think.
You can see this concept echoed in our post on Fostering Logical Thinking in Teenagers.
Building Confidence Through Clarity
When students can break problems down visually, they stop feeling lost. We’ve seen shy students suddenly light up because they finally “get it.”It’s not just about solving that one question — it’s about gaining confidence in their ability to reason.
And when they experience that success repeatedly, their mindset shifts. They start to believe:
“I can figure this out if I think it through.”
That’s the essence of a growth mindset — something we talk about in Encouraging a Growth Mindset in Teenagers — A Guide for Parents.
How We Use Model Drawing at Genie
At Genie Education Hub, we teach model drawing not as a memorised trick, but as a thinking tool. Our teachers guide students step-by-step:
Understand the story — identify who or what is involved.
Draw bars — represent known and unknown values.
Think logically — what operation connects them?
Write equations — based on the visual model.
Over time, this method becomes second nature. Even students who once dreaded word problems begin to enjoy the challenge — because they finally have a reliable way to tackle them.
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All the best to you on your parenting journey.
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