FAMILY LETTER UNIT 1: How Many of Each?

MathInThisUnit:

How Can You Help?

Studentswillbefocusingoncounting,orderingandcomparing
quantities,andaddition.Studentswillalsoworkonfindingaddition
combinationsupto10andlearntomakesenseofandsolvestory
problems.Theyengageinmathematicalproblemsandactivities
anddiscusstheunderlyingconcepts.Theyareaskedtosharetheir
reasoningandsolutions.Itisimportantthatchildrensolvemath
problemsaccuratelyinwaysthatmakesensetothem.Wewillbe
thinkingaboutthequestions:HowdoIunderstandthemagnitude
andpositionofnumbers?HowdoImakesenseofanddevelop
strategiesforcombiningtwonumbers?HowdoIusetools,models,
drawings,andequationstoshowstrategiesandsolutions?Howdo
Icomposeanddecomposenumbersto10?Additionally,students
willbeintroducedtoseveralclassroomroutinesthatreinforcework
withcounting,developing*visualimagesofnumber,collectingdata,
andworkingwithconceptsoftime(calendar/clock).

*seenotetotheright

MentalStrategiesforAdditionandSubtraction
Asstudentsmovethroughtheyear,firstgraderswillbe
developingmentalstrategiesforadditionandsubtraction.Inthe
beginning,however,itisveryimportantforchildrentohave
concreteobjectstomanipulateastheydevelopanunderstanding
fortheconceptsofadditionandsubtraction.Thesearethe
strategiesthatchildrenwilldevelopthroughmany,many
experiences:

countingon

countingback186eighteen,17,16,15,14,13,12

commutativepropertyofaddition(e.g.,4+6=6+4)

makingten(e.g.,8+6=8+2+4=10+4=14)

decomposeanumberleadingtoten(e.g.134=133
1=101=9)

composeanumberleadingtoten(e.g.,8+6=8+2+
4=10+4=14)

usingtherelationshipbetweenadditionandsubtraction
(e.g.,knowing8+4=12so124=8)

creatingequivalentbuteasierknownsums(e.g.,6+7=
6+6+1=12+1=13)

Whatarevisualimagesofnumbers?
When
achilddevelopsvisualimagesofnumbers/he
hastheabilitytoquicklyidentifythenumberof
itemsinasmallsetwithoutcounting.Thisis
called
subitizing
.Researchershave
demonstratedastrongrelationshipbetween
subitizing
skillandmathachievement.We
practicesubitizinginmanyways.Twospecific
waysareplayinggameswithdiceanda
classroomroutineofQuickImages.Animage
isshowntostudentsforabout45secondsand
theyareaskedtoreplicatetheimageandtotell
howmanyareinthepicture.
Hereareafewexamplesofaquickimages.

Only in the United States do people believe that learning

mathematics depends on special ability. In other countries,
student, parents, and teachers all expect that most student
can master mathematics if they work hard enough. .In
other nations where more is expected, more mathematics is
learned. --Everybody Counts (1989) National Research
Council, pp 10, 82.

SPOTLIGHT ON MATH

Ask, dont tell. Ask your child how s/he

is thinking about a problem. Ask other
questions. Dont tell them how to do it.
Encourage math talk and math
wondering. There are a lot of cars in
the carpool line. I wonder how many
there are? How could we figure that
out?
Give your child an addition or
subtraction equation and have them
make up a story problem that makes
sense with that equation.
Estimate. Ask your child to estimate
something and tell why his/her answer
makes sense.
Compare numbers. I have 5 pennies
and you have 2. Who has more? How
many more? Who has less? How can we
think about this?
Play games like War, Chess, checkers,
games with dice, and games with
strategies. Talk while playing.
Help your child develop strategies for
asking themselves questions like, What
is this problem asking me? What do I
need to solve this problem?

Mathematicallyproficientstudentsdevelopafoundationforproblemsolving
strategiesandbecomeindependentlyproficientinusingthosestrategiestosolve
newtasks.
Inthisunit,students
makesenseofproblemsandperseverewhensolvingthemwhenthey:

canexplainthemeaningofaproblem.

planmorethanonewaytosolveaproblem.

useconcreteobjectsorpicturestoconceptualizeaproblem.

checktheiranswersusingadifferentmethodorstrategy.

askthemselves,Doesmyanswermakesense?

learntopersevereandgrapplewithaproblemwhentheyarestuck.

ResourcestoHelpatHome

WebSites:
TenFrameactivitiesonIlluminationsat
www.illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id+35
65
OktasRescueUseyourcountingandaddition
skillstorescuetheoctopus.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=35
28
Shortvideoaboutaddingandsubtractingonan
opennumberlineat
www.learnzillion.com/lessons/2644addandsu
btractwithin20onanopennumberline
UndertheShell.Simpleadditiongame
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=35
66
BedtimeMathdailyproblemsarecreatedfrom
everydaycontexts.(Usuallyveryfunand
interestingcontexts!)
www.bedtimemath.com

APPS:
AWEsum:thereareavarietyofgamesandyou
determinethelevel
DeepSeaDuel:Collectcardstomakea
specificsum.Youdeterminenumberofcards
used,levelofnumberandlevelofstrategy.

Activities
Theseactivitiesarerelatedtothemathematics
weareworkingoninclass.
COUNTING:
Countanythingandeverything!
CALENDAR:
Atschool,weuseacalendaras
atoolforkeepingtrackoftimeanddates.To
helpyourchildbecomemorefamiliarwitha
calendar,hangoneatyourchildseyelevel,
andlethimorhermarkdatesofimportant
eventsinyourfamily.Ifspaceallows,s/hecan
writeordrawonethingtorememberabouteach
day.
GAMES:
Yourchildwillbebringinghome
somegamestoplayduringthisunit.Asyou
play,askyourchildtoexplainhowheorsheis
thinkingaboutaproblemorwhatstrategys/he
isusing.
READ:
Therearefabulousbooksouttherewith
LOTSofmathideas.Hereareacouple:
RoostersOfftoSeetheWorld
byEricCarle
TenBlackDots
byDonaldCrews
FiveCreatures
byTomekBogacki
HandasHens
byEileenBrowne