Step One: Read the Problem Carefully. 

Start by reading the problem thoroughly to understand what is being asked. Identify key information and note any specific questions that need answering. 

Step Two: Identify and List the Given Information (what you know).

Extract all the relevant data and numbers from the problem. Note down any relationships or conditions mentioned. 

Step Three: Determine the Unknowns

Figure out what you need to find. Define the variables if needed and decide what each variable represents. 

Step Four: Plan a Strategy

Decide on the mathematical operations or formulas you need to use. Break the problem into smaller, manageable steps. Determine the order in which you should solve each part of the problem. 

Step Five: Set Up Equations

Translate the word problem into mathematical equations based on the relationships and information given. 

Step Six: Solve the Equations

Perform the calculations as planned. Follow the order of operations (PEMDAS) if you're working with complex expressions. 

Step Seven: Check Your Work

After finding a solution, review the problem and your steps to ensure that the solution makes sense. Verify that the answer satisfies all the conditions given in the problem. 

Example Problem: Sarah is organizing her bookshelf. She has 24 fiction books and 18 non-fiction books. She wants to put them on shelves that each hold 6 books. After arranging the books, she finds that she has 2 empty shelves left. How many shelves did Sarah use in total?

1. Read the Problem Carefully

- Sarah has 24 fiction books and 18 non-fiction books. 

- Each shelf holds 6 books. 

- There are 2 empty shelves left. 

2. Identify and List the Given Information 

- Number of fiction books: 24

- Number of non-fiction books: 18

- Capacity of each shelf: 6 books

- Empty shelves left: 2

Example Problem: Sarah is organizing her bookshelf. She has 24 fiction books and 18 non-fiction books. She wants to put them on shelves that each hold 6 books. After arranging the books, she finds that she has 2 empty shelves left. How many shelves did Sarah use in total?

3. Determine the Unknowns

- Total number of shelves used. 

4. Plan a Strategy

- First, find the total number of books. 

- Calculate how many shelves are needed for all the books. 

- Determine how many shelves are actually used, considering the empty shelves left. 

5. Set Up Equations

- Total number of books = 24 + 18 = 42

- Number of shelves needed = total books / capacity per shelf = 42 / 6 = 7

- Since 2 shelves are empty, total shelves used = 7 

Example Problem: Sarah is organizing her bookshelf. She has 24 fiction books and 18 non-fiction books. She wants to put them on shelves that each hold 6 books. After arranging the books, she finds that she has 2 empty shelves left. How many shelves did Sarah use in total?

6. Solve the Equations

- Total number of books = 42

- Shelves required for all 42 books = 7

- Total shelves used = 7 (since the problem specifies there are 2 empty shelves which are not included in the count)

7. Check Your Work

- Verify: 42 books / 6 books per shelf = 7 shelves

- The number of empty shelves does not affect the number of shelves used.