Being able to add a string of single digits numbers, such as 3+5+2+9+7 to get 26, is a core requisite skill for young people learning mathematics. Without mastering this vital procedure, all of arithmetic becomes clumsy and prone to error. In this video, I want to explain how I think teacher and parents should approach the mathematical side of developing this understanding. Of course motivating young kids to learn this is another matter! In our approach, there is an important distinction between the easy half of the addition table, and the harder half. It is better to first master working with the easy half, where numbers add up to 10 or less. The somewhat novel notion of complementary numbers is useful here. We build up skill in working systematically from left to right, without resorting to any tricks or short cuts. After that we move to the harder half, where wrapping around 10 appears. This can be aided by using a 10 table made from a sheet of graph paper, leaning on our physical representation of numbers as row rectangles.
The skills we are covering here in this video need to not only be thoroughly learnt, and indeed mastered by young people, but they ought to be revised and strengthened as the years go by. Note that calculators are not part of this story at all!
0 Comments