I used to think that word problems were a new concept that had been developed to assist children in learning math. Little did I know that these word problems have been used for hundreds of years. The word problems look pretty similar to current day word problems, with the exception of some obvious differences, like the use of drachmas and the purchasing of livestock as shown in the problem below.
That is where practicality comes in, back then in 900 AD that was a practical way of learning math, these are actual situations that someone could be caught in. These days word problems look somewhat different and are possibly less practical. Now this question would likely involve dollars and common grocery store items. The difference is that in current-day calculators are incredibly accessible, being on every smartphone. This means for the most part that the majority of calculations do not need to be done by hand. This also means that word problems are less practical and necessary in my opinion.
Then there is the issue of "pure" vs. "applied" mathematics. Pure mathematics is in its own world, a world that has its own language and can be extremely daunting at times. Applied mathematics takes these over-complicated concepts and applies them to real-world problems that need solving. As a child or a student of math, I also believe it is easier to understand when it is placed in real-world situations. For example, as a child, it is easier to divide twelve apples between your three friends than just dividing twelve by three. As a person that is not overly fond of math, I appreciate it when applied mathematics simplifies a concept for me.
