1st Grade Math - September/October

In Math, we have been working on establishing routines and learning games that will help us practice our math skills throughout the year.  We are building on kindergarten experiences using a variety of manipulatives (concrete objects) such as cuisenaire rods and base ten blocks.  We are striving to build a solid understanding of number.  One of the ways to develop this understanding is through counting.  We are counting forwards and backwards by 1s and 10s from any number up to 120.  Most students are comfortable counting up by 1s but many are struggling to count down.  We are also working on relating numbers to each other and using terms such as before, after, one more, and one less to compare numbers.

If there are opportunities for your child to practice counting outside of school, I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.

Another important foundational skills is the understanding of 10.  Our math system is base-10 and as such, making and breaking 10 is the foundation of many mental math strategies.  The more automatically a child is able to recall the different combinations that make 10, the more "brain power" he/she has to focus on other aspects of the problems.  Consider the following examples

6+2+5+7+4+3+8+5

A child that readily recognizes the different ways to make 10 will likely solve the problem more accurately and more quickly than a child that works his/her way across the numbers.

Below are some games that you might play to increase your child's mastery of make 10 facts.

Snap for Ten.
(Purpose: to practice seeing, saying combinations to ten)
In pairs, using playing cards with Kings and Jacks removed, and using the Queen as a zero:
Turn over a card to begin the game.
Students take turns to turn over a card from the pack, placing the turned card on top of the card before. If the turned card can combine in some way with the previous card to make ten the student says, ‘Snap’, states the equation and collects the pile of cards.
For example: if 9 is turned, followed by a 1, 9 + 1 = 10 is stated and the pile of cards is collected.

Memory Tens.

(Purpose: to practice seeing and saying combinations to ten)
In pairs, using playing cards with Kings and Jacks removed, and using the Queen as a zero:
Cards are turned down and spread out in front of the students.
Students take turns to draw pairs. If the numbers on the two cards combined make ten, the pair is kept by the player.
For example: A player draws 6 and 4 and states 6 + 4 = 10 and keeps the pair.
The game continues till all cards are used up.
The winner is the person with the most pairs.