Providing manipulatives and hands-on activities can help students develop the number concepts necessary for a strong foundation in mathematical thinking. Kids need to talk about numbers, though. Games provide the skill practice that is also key. Writing about their thinking and their activities can help them to "know what they know".
Grab Bag
Our main strategies for addition and subtraction right now are to see them as opposite operations and to be aware of all the combinations to build a number. If you can build 5 with 2 and 3 then you can break 5 into 2 and 3. You can also make and break 5 into 4 and 1 and 5 and 0 (and that’s it for combinations of 2 numbers and for 1st grade.) To support the strategies that we are working on right now in class, Grab Bag is a perfect activity.
All you have to do for combinations to build a number is use 2 different objects in the bag (pretzel goldfish and cheese goldfish, shell pasta and bowtie pasta) or combine what your child grabs out from the left hand and the right hand. Have them say what was pulled out:
“I had 3 shells and 4 bowties. There are 7 all together.”
and write the addition sentence. 3 + 4 = 7
It’s also a good idea to keep all the combinations of each number together. Write all the ways to make 4 on one page (or half-page), all the ways to make 5 on another, and so on, up to 10.
Grab Bag is also useful for taking away or breaking a number. Use the recording sheet created when adding as a resource to refer back to. This will help reinforce and strengthen the relationship between the two operations.
Start with a number of an object (4 is usually a good number to start with). Move down to a lower number any time frustration and confusion sets in. Your child pulls out a handful and counts how many were pulled out. If there are 5 in the bag and 3 were pulled out, then 2 are left in the bag. If there is some uncertainty, have him or her count what is in the bag until he or she is confident. Relate it and refer back to the ways to build the number, and PUT IT INTO WORDS.
For example: There are 4 goldfish in the bag. I pulled out 3 so there is 1 left over. 3 and 1 make 4 so 4 can also be broken into 3 and 1. Use “plus” and “take away” or “minus” as often as you can to build the math language.
Race to a Quarter
We are beginning to work on addition and subtraction fact solving strategies. One of these strategies is to count up or to count down. By making a few small adjustments, Race to a Quarter can be used to practice these.
Use the spinner, or make a new one, and instead of one half being adding and one half being subtracting, divide the area into 6 sections. Then label the sections +1, +2, +3, -1, -2, and -3. There is also no need for dice in this version. To begin, you must spin a +1, +2, or +3, then you can continue racing to 25. Just as with Grab Bag activities, it is a good idea to get some equation-writing practice so add that into the game.
The students are only required to master sums up to and differences from 10, but the concept of counting up or down is the same no matter what numbers they are using. If frustration starts to rear its ugly head, then you can race to a dime. If your child wants more of a challenge, you can let them race to a half-dollar or dollar or bring in some nickels in the place of the pennies when the numbers get to 5’s.
Grab Bag
Our main strategies for addition and subtraction right now are to see them as opposite operations and to be aware of all the combinations to build a number. If you can build 5 with 2 and 3 then you can break 5 into 2 and 3. You can also make and break 5 into 4 and 1 and 5 and 0 (and that’s it for combinations of 2 numbers and for 1st grade.) To support the strategies that we are working on right now in class, Grab Bag is a perfect activity.
All you have to do for combinations to build a number is use 2 different objects in the bag (pretzel goldfish and cheese goldfish, shell pasta and bowtie pasta) or combine what your child grabs out from the left hand and the right hand. Have them say what was pulled out:
“I had 3 shells and 4 bowties. There are 7 all together.”
and write the addition sentence. 3 + 4 = 7
It’s also a good idea to keep all the combinations of each number together. Write all the ways to make 4 on one page (or half-page), all the ways to make 5 on another, and so on, up to 10.
Grab Bag is also useful for taking away or breaking a number. Use the recording sheet created when adding as a resource to refer back to. This will help reinforce and strengthen the relationship between the two operations.
Start with a number of an object (4 is usually a good number to start with). Move down to a lower number any time frustration and confusion sets in. Your child pulls out a handful and counts how many were pulled out. If there are 5 in the bag and 3 were pulled out, then 2 are left in the bag. If there is some uncertainty, have him or her count what is in the bag until he or she is confident. Relate it and refer back to the ways to build the number, and PUT IT INTO WORDS.
For example: There are 4 goldfish in the bag. I pulled out 3 so there is 1 left over. 3 and 1 make 4 so 4 can also be broken into 3 and 1. Use “plus” and “take away” or “minus” as often as you can to build the math language.
Race to a Quarter
We are beginning to work on addition and subtraction fact solving strategies. One of these strategies is to count up or to count down. By making a few small adjustments, Race to a Quarter can be used to practice these.
Use the spinner, or make a new one, and instead of one half being adding and one half being subtracting, divide the area into 6 sections. Then label the sections +1, +2, +3, -1, -2, and -3. There is also no need for dice in this version. To begin, you must spin a +1, +2, or +3, then you can continue racing to 25. Just as with Grab Bag activities, it is a good idea to get some equation-writing practice so add that into the game.
The students are only required to master sums up to and differences from 10, but the concept of counting up or down is the same no matter what numbers they are using. If frustration starts to rear its ugly head, then you can race to a dime. If your child wants more of a challenge, you can let them race to a half-dollar or dollar or bring in some nickels in the place of the pennies when the numbers get to 5’s.