First grade is the year that students are developing their foundational mathematical skills. It is critical that when learning how to add numbers, our students are learning and understanding HOW to use a math algorithm to find an answer and also able to explain WHY they are doing so. When I teach my students addition, they have a solid understanding of numbers and place value first. Then I introduce different addition strategies. After some practice with these strategies, the focus can shift to memorization of facts. This, of course, comes later.
Some strategies that I like to use when teaching addition are:
(these are all covered in the First Grade Addition Interactive Notebook)
1. Zero Facts
2. Turn-Around Facts
3. Counting On
4. Doubles Facts
5. Using Fingers
6. Using Manipulatives
7. Near Doubles
8. Make a Ten
9. Part Part Whole
10. Combining Numbers
11. Tally Marks
12. Ten Frames
Another important component to teaching any new unit in math is to teach the vocabulary words that go with the concept. This particular interactive math notebook activity includes 10 vocabulary words with definitions. You could have your students glue their definitions under the vocabulary word or write the definition themselves.
This First Grade Addition Strategies Notebook includes all of the strategies you read from above along with activities for practice of these addition strategies. I believe most first graders benefit from using manipulatives when learning a math skill so these interactive notebook activities were designed to accompany some of the most basic math manipulatives such as dice, counters, dominoes, etc.
My favorite part about this First Grade Addition Strategies Notebook is the word problem story mats. Word problems seem to always be a trickier concept for students to master so I knew that I wanted to find a way for students to practice this skill in a practical way. That’s when these word problem story mats came to life!
I love that there are pictures provided for each story or I can use any math manipulative that I have laying around my classroom. These word problem story mats can also be easily differentiated. For the struggling student, I would use these as a part of their math center. I would provide the story prompt and a limited number of counters. I can also see this being used with at grade level students by having them work with a partner to determine a story, place counters on the story mat, and write the addition sentence to go with the word problem. For the advanced first graders, I would provide the story mats and an increased number of counters. Then they would work independently or with a partner to write a word problem of their own along with the addition sentence to go with the word problem. The First Grade Addition Notebook includes 5 different stories with counters.
If you’d like to try out some free interactive math activities in your classroom, you can grab a 35 page freebie by clicking on the DOWNLOAD HERE button below. Enjoy!