Mastering Simple Adding and Subtracting this Summer

My twins are adding and subtracting, numbers larger than 20, as they get close to the first grade finish line.  Thank God for the person who invented erasers, and for those who remind Mom to be patient when the boys forget carrying numbers in addition, or skip regrouping in subtraction.  I am  also reminded that in order to add and subtract double-digits, children need to be strong in their add/subtract skills to twenty.  In other words, adding 23 + 9 will be difficult if children do not have 3 + 9 memorized.  And, if children have not mastered 13 - 9, regrouping 23 - 9 becomes challenging.

Since the twins are my fourth and fifth children to complete these tricky skills, I looked back on my notes and found some refreshing tips on how to improve basic facts, 1 - 20.  These tips can be used during the summer with students going into first grade, too.   An abacus is terrific.  Several math programs use beads and counters.  Try pennies, buttons, or for subtraction, a tiny treat to take away and eat.  Instruct your children to put a number of items in two or three piles (perhaps in string circles) and then count them together.

Every math program offers enrichment suggestions and worksheets.  Find those sections in your program and enrich your children with review worksheets.  Focus on the lessons that teach addition and subtraction facts, especially through twenty.  If your program offers drill sheets encourage your children to finish a certain number of facts in five minutes.  Completing this activity at least once a week will allow your children to see progress in the number completed and the number correct.

Use flash cards at meal time or in games.  Each time your first grader gets an answer correct, mark an illustrated baseball diamond, so they are "running the bases."  If she answers a difficult problem mark her  as "running"  to second base, or she might hit a homerun with an answer to a challenging math fact.  Now that it's finally warm out in our midwest state, we head outside to run real bases marked with old towels.  If my children miss an answer to a flash card three times, they strike out and a sibling is up to bat.

On rainy days, your first grader will enjoy this Step Game.   Each time he gets an answer correct he can move to the next step.  Each missed answer means he takes a step down.  How long will it take him to reach the top?  Do you have a white board?  Allow him to answer some workbook math facts with a dry erase marker so he doesn't grow bored with worksheets.

Don't forget about story problems.  My twins are into action figures on the X-Box, so I let them choose a certain number of action figures added to another set of figures to figure out a grand total.   Sometimes they like to draw the story out.

This next idea is my children's favorite.  Post number families with Mom, Dad and Siblings.   Mom or Dad are the top numbers with children, who are listed underneath them, and they make up a number family.  The number six might be Dad.  He has children named 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.  0 and 6 hang out together; 1 and 5 play together; 2 and 4 are especially close; 1 and 5 are inseparable; and 3 and 3 are identical twins (this, of course, is the twins' favorite part)!  Then, we discuss how each pair adds up to 6: (4 +2 = 6, 2 + 4 = 6).  6 also works with each "child" to find their brother or sister (6 - 4 = 2, 6 - 2 = 4).

Try classic games like Addition & Subtraction Bingo, and Cookie Counting Math that you can buy at Amazon.com, or if you are feeling especially creative make up your own.


   

Experts agree that solving addition and subtraction facts quickly, at this early age, is not nearly as important as mastering the answers.  Work on memorizing before you require speed.  Once children's answers are consistently correct, speed will make addition and subtraction with larger numbers less tiresome.