Tape Diagrams in Math: A Problem Solving Strategy

What is your go-to strategy for teaching word problems? I have always encouraged my students to model, model, model when solving word problems. Modeling is a way for students to make sense of a problem and catch mistakes before they happen. Sometimes, what seems like a good answer just doesn't work out once it's drawn as a model.

Until recently, I really didn't care what kind of model my kids used. Drawings, tally marks, symbols: anything was fair game. But as we've worked our way through multiplication and into division, I've found myself returning over and over again to the tape diagram. It's a nearly fail-proof way to work through a story problem and my students have become problem solving masters!

So, what exactly is a tape diagram?

A tape diagram is a drawing that looks like a segment of tape, used to illustrate number relationships. Also known as a strip diagram, bar model, fraction strip, or length model."

In practice, a tape diagram in math looks like this...

Tape diagrams have become my go-to model when teaching math. They work for any type of word problem, but I especially love them for solving multiplication and division.

how do you solve a tape diagram?

To solve problems using tape diagrams, students must first ask, "Do I know the whole amount?" If it's supplied by the problem, fill it in. If not, put a question mark at the bottom of the diagram. Then look for other information and fill that in. The question mark always represents whatever piece of information is missing.

Here is an example of how I use it to teach division problems:

Students will quickly begin to see a pattern... the bottom number is always the product of the top two numbers.

Therein lies the beauty of this model:

It is self-correcting. If the top two numbers, when multiplied, do not equal the bottom, you've done something wrong.

When teaching with this model, it's a good idea to have students write all four possible equations. So in the above example, we would also write ? x 4 = 32 and 32 ÷ ? = 4. This is important because it reinforces the concept of inverse operations and fact families. It also gives students a tool to use when the encounter problems with a missing factor or divisor.

Once my students are able to interpret story problems and solve using tape diagrams, I teach them to analyze a tape diagram and write their own story problems to go with it. This requires high-order thinking and really develops their mathematical minds.

how to use tape diagrams

To use tape diagrams with your students, I suggest following this instructional sequence...

• Teacher supplies the story problem, draws the tape diagram, and models how to solve.

• Teacher supplies the story problem, draws the tape diagram, and students help solve.

• Teacher supplies the story problem, students help draw the diagram, and students solve on their own.

• Teacher supplies the story problem, students draw and solve alone.

• Teacher draws a tape diagram and students create a story problem to go with it.

Along the way, you'll want to move from including one equation that represents the problem to showing all four possible equations. This process, from introduction to proficiency, might take several weeks depending on the skills of your students. But it will pay off in the long run when your students become experts at solving word problems!

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If you're interested in teaching your students to use this strategy, you may want to check out this resource:

Problem Solving with Tape Diagrams: A Model for Multiplication and Division