I Had to Laugh

Last week I was looking over a second grader’s shoulder–a second grader I might add who had been held back a year.  He had two ten frames on his paper to build a bond (sum) of ten, which was the assignment.  On one of his ten frames he had drawn three dots and on the other ten frame he had drawn four dots.  Beside his two ten frames he had written the equation 3 + 4 = 10.

I said, “I’m confused.  Show me how three plus four makes ten.”

He held up three fingers on one hand and four on the other hand and began to count.  Starting on one hand he began counting, “four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

I said, “Really, three and four make ten? I’m confused.  Are you sure three and four make ten?”

He promptly counted confidently again exactly the same way and arrived at the number ten.  I ended up correcting his thinking, but he definitely made me smile on the inside with this misconception he had developed.