Solving Word Problems Using Inverse Operations

Math Songs by NUMBEROCK

This energetic animated music video teaches students a comprehensive strategy for tackling math word problems and verifying their answers. Through a catchy hip-hop song, it breaks down the problem-solving process into actionable steps: maintaining concentration, reading carefully, underlining key information, drawing pictures, and using estimation to eliminate incorrect multiple-choice answers. The video emphasizes the importance of labeling units and clarifies that numbers represent real-world quantities, not just abstract figures. A central theme of the video is the mathematical concept of "Inverse Operations." It demonstrates how addition and subtraction, as well as multiplication and division, are opposites that can be used to check work. By reversing a calculation (e.g., checking a subtraction problem by adding the answer to the subtrahend), students can ensure their solutions are correct before moving on. Beyond the math mechanics, the video offers a positive social-emotional message about determination and self-worth. It encourages students to approach testing with confidence and concludes with the powerful affirmation that academic grades do not define a person's value, stating, "You don't gotta be a straight-A student to be an A-plus human." This makes it an excellent resource for test prep, teaching study skills, and building mathematical confidence in upper elementary students.