How Can I Support This Mathematical Development?

[Guest]

I have a boy in my year one class who can take away from any number so long as it doesn't cross the tens barrier, using the rule of how numbers from one to 10 work (so for 57 - 4 he knows to count on from 4 to 7, work out how many that is and then say 53). No one has told him how to do this he just worked it out for himself.

 

At the same time though this boy can barely add two numbers or sets of objects within 10, certainly he can't record and if he saw 57-3 written down he would have no idea what it meant. Also when doing his counting on thing he always starts from one so for the above example... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, that's 3 more numbers from 4 to 7 so 53.

 

I'm a bit stuck as to how best to progress. He obviously has grasped how numbers work at some level, but other concepts just don't seem to register. I'm wary of 'spoiling' the knowledge he has already by trying to push the concept of counting on and adding two sets. Any ideas for activities that I can do with him, perhaps that will allow him to develop his adding skills in a natural way?

 

I have a lot of children in my class who still don't understand about adding two sets and no matter what I do I seem to be hitting a brick wall with them. I need something to help them all push through this barrier so they can move on in their understanding.

[Guest]

Do you have Deines apparatus with units, longs, flats and cubes?

 

It is great and if you play the place value game but not with tens in other bases so for exapmple if you play it in base 6 then every tine yopu get to 6 units you have to convert them to one long and 6 longs have to convert to one flat. It is a way or getting them to understand but I wouldn't use it with very young children have done it with capable y1's and Y2's

 

some good games here

http://nrich.maths.org/2479

[Guest]

I find story maths and real life maths seems to work well. e.g just explaining odds + evens to my daughter for homework and I got out our toy wooden bus and peg people. I said 'it's the swimming bus and they all want to sit next to their friend."

We paired them and there was someone left all alone-the odd one out etc. She very quickly got it and was able to explain it back to me..

 

Perhaps think of story bases and real objects you can use to bring maths alive for him.

Try to think of a real life scenario where it is important to add two sets. Maybe plan a whole class maths project that involves this skill.

Or maybe do maths outside, draw two huge chalk circles on the ground one for girls one for boys. Ask questions' who likes cheese?'Girls stand in one circle if they do, boys in the other. How many children in our class altogether like cheese ?etc. Or you could use it as a physical way of doing the register, do it for who's here and who is having packed lunch/school dinner and then combine the boy and girl totals.

 

Or something like that!!