As a teacher, one of the most important things you can do is ensure that your students develop a strong foundational understanding of basic Math concepts. One of these concepts is addition, which is fundamental to learning Math. When teaching addition, it is essential to encourage your students to use a variety of strategies that can help them understand and retain the information better. In this article, we will focus on activities that can teach students how to make numbers using addition, especially sums up to 20.
1. Counting using manipulatives
Counting using manipulatives is an excellent approach for introducing addition to young learners. Gather items such as small blocks, beads, or cubes that students can use to count and add. For example, if you ask your class to make the number 7, give each student seven blocks and ask them, “How many blocks do you need to add to get to 10?” Alternatively, you can also ask students to make a group of 10 blocks and then add individual blocks to make numbers that add up to 20.
2. Addition with visuals
Visuals are useful when it comes to teaching Math. You can display pictures or drawings and ask your students to add the items up. For example, a picture of 10 apples, and students can count how many more apples they would need to reach 15. Incorporating colors or patterns that students can recognize in everyday objects will allow them to relate to the concept better.
3. Partner addition
Partner activity is an engaging and fun approach to help students improve their Math skills through working together. Ask students to work in pairs and give each pair a set of 20 small items such as pebbles, marbles, or counters. Have one partner close their eyes while the other partner takes away some items from the set. Once the items are taken away, challenge the open-eyed partner to figure out how many items the other student removed. Once the student answers, swap the partners’ roles and repeat the activity.
4. Addition with games
Games are a great way to make Math fun and engaging. Incorporating time challenges, making use of visuals, and incorporating music and movement are all great ideas to make games more exciting. For example, create a game where students roll a die and add the number shown on the die to a set of or count from ten to twenty. You can also incorporate popular childhood games such as hopscotch to reinforce the concept of addition.
In conclusion, incorporating a variety of activities, including addition with visuals, manipulatives, partner addition, and games are all great ways to help students learn how to make numbers using addition when summing up to 20. Incorporating these activities in your lesson plans will keep your students engaged, interested, and motivated to learn more about Math and other related subjects when used effectively. Even with limited resources, there are many simple and exciting ways to teach basic Math concepts effectively.
