Your Kids Aren’t Learning Addition Facts? Try This…(Part 2)

So, once the kids have learned the initial easy facts like I posted about before (+1, +10, and +9), I focus on getting them to learn their bonds of ten.  Now since we had already learned the +1 and +9 facts, I focus on these foundational facts to help us build other facts later on.  Most often kids know that 5 +5 makes 10 because they have 5 fingers on one hand and 5 fingers on the other hand to make 10 fingers.  After we talk about these, I make them practice these other three facts over and over (4+6, 3 +7, and 2+8) by writing them and saying them.  I don’t let them participate in any other activities in my group time until they can tell me these three facts that make ten.

I give them these facts to practice for homework as well before we use them as a foundation for anything else because I want them to be solid in this.

Then I leave the bonds of ten facts for a little while to practice the +2 facts.  These are easy.  All the while we are recalling what makes 10 often (in review) to keep these facts fresh in their mind.  After the kids see the number facts with the answers that are adding 2, I ask the students how they can always find the answer to a +2 fact easily.  Sometimes I write the +1 facts right beside the +2 facts to prompt their thinking.  Eventually they tell me that you just count 2 more numbers to get the sum/answer.

 More to come…

*Thank you Erin Cobb: Frames courtesy of Lovin’Lit.