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Counters
Groups of 10
Two Sided Counters
Story Time Math
Simple Drawings
Dice Games
Number Lines

Addition Facts to 10   PDF

Vertical Number Lines
  Beginner PDF
  More Advanced PDF

Horizontal Number Lines
Beginner PDF
More Advanced PDF


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Spot the Dots Addition Puzzle and Game by Talicor

Electronic Math Whiz by Educational Insights

Dog Dice Game by Gamewright

 


Ways to Practice
Addition Facts

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Once your child understands what each number under 10 means (not that she just recognizes the numbers to 10, but that "10" means ten items or "8" means eight items, etc. Parent tip on rote memorization), then she is ready to start adding numbers together.

We're going to start with addition facts up to ten PDF. This is the foundation for the rest of the addition facts, so a strong understanding of these is really important.

To young children, this is big kid stuff – they wants to know how to do it - it's like magic when they can take 2 numbers and turn it into another number.

Learning Styles Covered

Auditory Learning Style Kinesthetic Learning Style Visual Learning Style





Counters

counters

Use counters to keep it as concrete as possible for your child. Counters can be anything that is available but not something that will distract your daughter. Some simple counters are: poker chips, Cheerios, bottle tops, crayons, pegs with peg board, etc.



two sided lima bean counters

A two sided counter is helpful for learning math facts. You can make a simple two sided counter by painting one side of a lima bean or a poker chip. These two sided counters can be used for math facts and later when your daughter is ready for probability activities.



Groups of 10

Materials:
pipe cleaner, yarn, string or shoe lace
beads, washers or hardware nuts
paper and pencil
Addition Facts PDF

 

use a pipe cleaner and beads for counting

Steps to Make the Groups of 10 Game:

Thread 10 items (beads, washers or hardware nuts) on a string (yarn, pipe cleaner or shoe lace).

 

Groups of 10 Game:

You'll want to let your daughter discover the combinations of numbers that make up 10.

  1. Slide all the beads to the left.
  2. Have your daughter count the beads.  Then let her slide several of the beads to the right.
  3. Have her count the beads on the left and then the beads on the right.  She should say the numbers out loud and what they equal.
  4. When she is ready, have her write down the combinations and see how many she can come up with. This is a skill that she will build on as her number sense and understanding develops.
    For your child to be able to do this, she should already know what a "+" and "=" sign mean.


Two Sided Counters

Materials:
lima bean, poker chips (any two-sided flat object)
spray paint
paper and pencil
Addition Facts PDF

 

two sided lima bean counters

Steps to Make Two Sided Counter:

  1. Lay at least 10 lima beans flat on a flat surface (outside is probably best with cardboard underneath).
  2. Let your child choose the color of the spray paint to paint the lima beans. If you are using a different object be sure that the color you are spraying has a good contrast from the color of the item. 
  3. Spray one side of the lima beans gently, you don't want to spray too much otherwise it will drip and the other side of the lima bean will then have paint.  Spray several coats if the color isn't dark enough, but let each coat dry in between.
Two Sided Counter Game:
  1. Choose the math facts your child needs to work on (for example, if your daughter needs to learn what combinations equal five, then choose 5 lima beans).
  2. Have her count out that number of lima beans.
  3. Let her shuffle the lima beans in her hand and drop them on a flat surface.
  4. Have her separate the beans by color and line them up so they are easier to count, then have her count each color.
  5. Have her say each number out loud and what they equal. 
  6. When she is ready, have her write down the combinations.

When your daughter does this several times, she may notice that the number that they equal is always the same number, at least until you change the number of lima beans she is working with.



Story Time Math

Materials:
anything available – stuffed animals, cars, dolls, etc.
Addition Facts PDF

 

You can make a game out of counting any number of objects that you find around.
For instance;

  • How many knives do we have on the table and how many forks? How many all together?

  • If we put 2 pillows on your bed and 3 pillows on the couch, how many are there?

  • How many people are waiting in this line and that line?

If you turn it into a story it helps engage your daughter and prepares her for story problems in the future. Children love it when you put things in a story.

A story can be as simple as there were two dogs outside playing and then 2 more dogs came and they all played together. How many dogs are there playing outside now?

Or make it open ended like: Samantha found 3 sunflower seeds and planted them in the garden. She than found 2 more seeds but didn't know what kind they were. After thinking about it, she decided to plant them in the garden too. How many seeds did she plant? Months later the plants grew and she found out that the 2 seeds were...Let your daughter make suggestions of what the seeds were. She might even what to draw a picture to show how all the plants look.



Simple Drawings

math problems using drawings
Materials:
simple drawings on paper
Addition Facts PDF

 

  1. math problem
    When your daughter has been successfully adding with counters and is comfortable with doing it, you can make simple drawings for her – like of 4 cars + 2 buses or 3 cats + 2 dolls.
  2. The drawings don't have to be works of art. Simple drawings or even stickers will give your daughter practice at counting objects while transitioning toward making it more abstract.
  3. You will also be reinforcing the "+" and "=" signs.


Dice Games

Materials:
dice with dots or numbers
Addition Facts PDF

 

use dice for counters

Play games with dice where your daughter has to add the numbers on the dice to move forward. 

Some children when playing with dice for the first time don't realize that they are to add the numbers or dots on the top of the dice.  Be sure she understands to use only the top of the dice, when adding.

When young children begin to add, dice with the dots are very handy. The dots are a great tool for children to be able to count up to the total number needed for the game they are playing.

Dice with numbers are a great tool for number recognition. So if it is the numbers that you want your child to become familiar with use those dice instead of dice with dots.



Number Line

use a vertical number line to help with addition

Another great tool is using a number line.

Most number lines are horizontal (like a ruler) but for some children that don't have a strong number sense, it can be confusing.

Using a vertical number line helps children see that the numbers build on each other and makes it much clearer for them.

Materials:
vertical number line for beginners PDF
vertical number line for children with more experience PDF
horizontal number line for beginners PDF
horizontal number line for children with more experience PDF
counters of at 2 least colors
markers
Addition Facts PDF

Vertical Number Line Game:
  1. Use the counters to go along with the story problems or addition problems from school; or stories or addition problems that you make up.
  2. Your child can then use her counters to identify the first number that she want to add on to and then count from that point.

    For example, if the problem is 3 dinosaurs come to the playground to play and 1 red dinosaur joined them later, how many dinosaurs are there in all?
    • Have your child line the dinosaurs up on the number line.  First the 3 green and then the 1 red.  If you don't have the counters to go with the story have your child color the first 3 boxes with green and then the next box with red.
    • Then have your child count how many in all.
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