Problem solving has been the focus of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice. Helping students acquire critical-thinking and problem-solving skills has become the primary goal of mathematics education across all grade levels. However, research has found that many students struggle with word problems because of poor text comprehension capability. In this article, the authors bring forward a pictorial representation--the tape diagram--to illustrate ways to help students make sense of mathematical relationships. This article presents varied types of word problems spanning elementary to high school levels in which tape diagrams are used to promote conceptualization and problem solving. The article concludes with recommendations for successful implementation of this visual tool.