How to Show Your Maths Working Clearly
30 October 2026 · Pi Leo Academy
Writing the answer is only one part of solving a maths question. Your working shows how you reached it. A few clear lines can help you explain an idea and find the exact place where a calculation went wrong.
The “How to do it!!!” Short shows the Pi Leo Academy working-out area, including a simple handwritten addition. Use that as an invitation to make your reasoning visible. The companion example below works equally well on paper.
Write one useful step at a time
To work out 47 + 28, split 28 into 20 and 8. First, 47 + 20 = 67. Then, 67 + 8 = 75. The answer is 75. Two short lines show the method without needing a long paragraph.
Another learner might bridge through 50: 47 + 3 = 50, leaving 25 still to add, and 50 + 25 = 75. Both methods are valid. Ask the learner why their steps keep the total unchanged.
Use the equals sign carefully
An equals sign means that the amounts on both sides have the same value. Avoid writing “47 + 20 = 67 + 8 = 75”, because that incorrectly says 67 equals 75. Put the two calculations on separate lines, or write 47 + 28 = 47 + 20 + 8 = 75.
For a word problem, add a short label. If there are 47 blue counters and 28 red counters, the final answer is “75 counters”. The label connects the arithmetic back to the question.
Check without repeating the same slip
Use subtraction to check the addition: 75 − 28 should return 47. You can also estimate: 47 is close to 50 and 28 is close to 30, so an answer near 80 is sensible. Estimating alone would not prove 75 is exact, but it can help catch an answer such as 15 or 750.
Try it yourself
- Show two steps for 36 + 27.
- Check 84 − 29 using addition.
Answers: 1. 36 + 20 = 56, then 56 + 7 = 63. 2. 84 − 29 = 55, and 55 + 29 = 84. There are other valid ways to arrange the working.
Clear working is useful even when the final answer is incorrect. It gives a parent, teacher or learner something specific to discuss. Focus on explaining the step, not on making the page look perfect.
Keep the study notes beside you
Full study notes and their PDF downloads require an account with the relevant access. Open the notes page first if you need to sign in or choose a membership. These are companion resources for the activity in this article.
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