Same Math › Grades 1–5 › Keyword strategies like CUBES
Why are teachers moving away from keyword strategies?
Keyword strategies teach kids to hunt for clue words, like "more" means add or "left" means subtract. Acronyms like CUBES (circle, underline, box, evaluate, solve) often include it. Many teachers now steer away, because keywords point the wrong way in lots of problems.
- "Sam has 5 more than Lee. Sam has 12."
- The keyword "more" says add, giving 17. That's wrong.
- The picture shows Lee has less: 12 − 5 = 7
Why schools teach it
Keywords work until they don't
Clue words seem helpful on simple problems, but they fail on many others. "How many more does Ava need?" uses "more" but is solved by subtracting. Kids who rely on keywords often grab numbers without reading the story.
The standards expect word problems solved by representing them with drawings and equations (for example 1.OA.A.1, 2.OA.A.1, 3.OA.D.8). That's why many classes now teach tape diagrams: draw what's happening, then decide the operation.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
Tell me the story in your own words.
Who has more? Who has less?
Can you draw it?
A quick tape diagram often settles it.Does your answer make sense in the story?
17 stickers for the person with fewer is a red flag.
Skip this
Look for the keyword.
It's the habit many teachers are trying to undo.- Circling numbers before reading the whole problem.Reading the story first matters more.
"Left" always means subtract.
"Ava has 8 left after giving away 5. How many did she start with?" is adding.
See it in action
A problem where the keyword misleads
Omar needs 20 stamps. He has 12. How many more does he need?
The keyword "more" suggests adding
12 + 20 = 32 (doesn't make sense)Draw it: a bar of 20 with 12 filled
the missing part is what he needsFind the missing part
20 − 12 = 8
The drawing shows the question is about a missing part, whatever the words say.
Free practice sheet
Make a keyword trap sheet
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Parents also ask
Is CUBES bad?
Circling and underlining can help kids slow down. The problem is the keyword part, when it replaces understanding the story.
What do teachers use instead?
Drawings such as tape diagrams, retelling the story, and asking what's being found.
My child's teacher still uses keywords. What should I do?
Follow the class, and add one question: does the answer make sense in the story?
Are any clue words reliable?
Some help in simple cases, but none are always right. Understanding the situation is.