We have hit some major mathematical concepts in the last few weeks that are building blocks to further math learning. We have been working on decomposing and composing 10 using a wide range of strategies. The strategies being practiced with low numbers now, will then be transferred over when students are working with larger quantities.
For example, how would you solve this problem?
156-97= ??
We are teaching kids to know combinations and patterns in numbers in a way that will help them understand that 97 is 3 away from 100 and 156 is still 56 more away, leaving us with a total of 59. There are of course MANY ways to solve a subtraction problem like this, and the strategies we are teaching now will help students be able to use a variety of methods when faced with a problem like this.
For example, how would you solve this problem?
156-97= ??
We are teaching kids to know combinations and patterns in numbers in a way that will help them understand that 97 is 3 away from 100 and 156 is still 56 more away, leaving us with a total of 59. There are of course MANY ways to solve a subtraction problem like this, and the strategies we are teaching now will help students be able to use a variety of methods when faced with a problem like this.
Counting onCounting on from a given number requires students to keep a given number in their head and start their count from that number and pause when they reach the target number. This skill allows students to use certain numbers as benchmarks (5, 10, 50, 100) and find out how far away numbers are from those benchmark numbers they are. When looking at a simpler problem, Maria has 3 cookies, how many more does she need to give a cookie to all 10 of her friends? students should be able to start at the number 3 and count on in their head or on their fingers until they get to 10. As they count on, this would leave them with 7 fingers up. Another student might use 5 as a benchmark number and know that 5 and 5 gets them to 10 and 3 is only 2 away from that number, thus leaving them with 7 (5+2). | Combining setsCombining sets is another way of saying "adding." The kindergarten standard for this skill is adding fluently to 5. We are diving in and spending time really learning what it means to "add." Before we "add", we combine. Combining numbers means that we get more (sometimes equal) to what we started with. Combinations would include things like, 2 and 3 make 5 3 and 5 make 8 10 and 5 make 15 These combinations woudl then turn into addition sentences like, 2+3=5 3+5=8 10+5=15 We are exploring this concept with a wide variety of numbers, including numbers that make totals beyond 1 group of tens. The counting on strategies and the fluency with knowing where numbers fall on continuum becomes very important for adding efficiency. We are also starting to explore those tricky "story problems" and trying to understand what the question is asking us, what information we need from the problem, and what operation we might need to solve the problem. |