Quick! Need help with best way to show dd how to add 4 numbers together...

[Sara]

I don't have the TM. I'm sure there are some nifty tricks in there. I have my own way of doing this, but I'm not sure it would be the "right" way. She has several problems today like this:

6
2
8
1
____


4
5
2
2
__

Any thoughts on the best way to do this. I didn't buy the TM because there are VERY few things at the 2nd grade level that I can't figure out. I actually can figure this out - I just want to see if there are any good tips or tricks.

Thanks a bunch! :-)

[Cheyenne]

I don't have any nifty tricks although I do try to encourage my son to add the numbers that might make 10 first and then add the others in, but usually I just ask him which to numbers he wants to add first and then he goes from there. If there are any nifty tricks, then I will be :popcorn to find out since my 6 year old is starting to do these a little.

[milkmommy]

Can I ask exactly what shes having trouble doing?
Deanna

[Sara]

She isn't having trouble doing anything. We haven't done the problems yet. She asked me the best way to do them and I told her we would do them in a little bit. I was just wondering if there were any good tricks for adding multiple numbers together. I know how I do things, but the way that I do things isn't always the most efficient.

[Rabbit]

I can tell you how I taught first graders to do it, when I was teaching public school. They just draw a little line from the first two numbers out to the side to make a sort of arrow. Then they add those numbers together and write it down at the arrow. They do the same with the bottom two numbers. Then they add up the two new numbers that they have, and that's how they get the answer. Drawing the lines/arrows keeps them from losing their place, which happens a lot with 5 and 6 year olds. Once they're better at not losing their place, and they've got the concept for adding multiple numbers, that they do it one pair of numbers at a time, they start to add their own tricks to it, using skills I taught in other lessons. (Like identifying which numbers add up to ten quickly, and even adding three numbers up in a glance.) We talk it out and experiment together to find new ways of doing it that work for the individual child. Where I was teaching, it was a challenge just to get them to remember to add the pairs, and then add those sums together, too.

For those that really were struggling, I could use manipulatives, like crayons or sticks or some bug counters I eventually got. Write on four plates what numbers we were adding, then count those many bugs into each plate. We'd talk about how we wanted to know how many bugs on all four plates. And that there were a lot of bugs, and that it might be a mess if we just threw them all in together to count up at one time. (They only half believed me that this wouldn't be the best and most fun way to do it.) But we'd put two of the plates together, and count up how many bugs there were then, and do that with the other two plates. Then we'd have two new plates, and we'd talk about how it was the same bugs, but we still didn't know how many, so we'd put those two plates together to get all of the bugs all into one pile, and to get the final answer. That helped them with the idea that adding to get different numbers didn't change how many bugs we had, and taught them how to add small quantities together first to get to the big quantity. But your child is way beyond those problems.

-Natalie

[Sara]

I can tell you how I taught first graders to do it, when I was teaching public school. They just draw a little line from the first two numbers out to the side to make a sort of arrow. Then they add those numbers together and write it down at the arrow. They do the same with the bottom two numbers.

Thank you so much! This is how I wanted to show her, but I was worried it would be confusing. I know that this is what I used to do, but I wasn't sure if it was something I had been taught, or if it was just something I made up to make it easier. I just don't want dd to be confused!

[illinoismommy]

Even as an adult I add the first two numbers, then the second two numbers, and then add the two I came up with together.

So

6
2 = 8
8
1 = 9

8+9 = 17

It served me well all the way through calculus ;)

[snlmama]

I do it kinda weird, if you're looking for something different. :shifty

I look for 2 numbers (or 3) that add up to 10, then add the other numbers and add to that. Somehow it makes it easier for me to do the math in my head that way.

6
2
8
1

So I'd say, OK< 8+2 is 10, so add six to that, it's 16, plus 1 is 17. :shrug Or if it was like:


4
2
3
4

I'd say 4+2+4 is 10, so add 3 and it's 13.

I'm not sure why I do it that way, but if her mind works a bit differently it might help her.. :grin :shrug

8+9 = 17

[Sara]

I look for 2 numbers (or 3) that add up to 10, then add the other numbers and add to that. Somehow it makes it easier for me to do the math in my head that way.


I do it that way sometimes, too. I guess I've learned or figured out how to do it both ways. Maybe I'll just present both suggestions to her and just allow her to use what works best.

Thanks for all the help! :tu

[Cindy]

I do it kinda weird, if you're looking for something different. :shifty

I look for 2 numbers (or 3) that add up to 10, then add the other numbers and add to that. Somehow it makes it easier for me to do the math in my head that way.

Actually this is how Sarah learned through Miquon. The exercise started her a series of numbers such as:

8 6 2 4 9 1 5 3 7 5

and she would have to circle the numbers that make tens:

(8,2) (6,4) (9,1) (5,5) (7,3)

The next step would be adding the tens (5 tens = 50)
Then after a page or two of this she started seeing things like:

8 + 9 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 1 = __ (or the column version)

Then the next step would be something like this:

8 + 9 + 2 + 5 + 1 = __
Where she would find all the tens, then add whatever is left.

I really liked this approach as it encourages mental math abilities. It wasn't long before dd was adding numbers in her head. :tu