It's Me Again!

It's 100+ degrees here in Ohio and it's too hot to be outdoors for more than 15 seconds! Translation: I've been on my computer...a lot! I've been reading (and by reading I mean "blog-stalking") a lot in the past week. I've seen many blogs post their "parent packets" for the upcoming school year but I can't seem to get the motivation to work on mine! It's my least favorite thing to do.  


One of the blogs I came across has a list of "what-not-to-do" for blogging. One of the rules is to NOT post more than 2 times in one day. Well, I am going to break that rule...Because I can. Hopefully you'll forgive me!


My kids almost always seem to have trouble with counting on the hundreds chart so I use this to help them:

Hundred Chart Counting

It's pretty simple to use. The pound sign in the middle represents the number you are starting on. If you move "up" on the hundreds chart from that number, you are subtracting...Subtracting 10 to be exact. (Kids typically think because we are going "up" the number is getting bigger). If you go "down" from the number you are adding. Get the idea? Same works when you move left to right. You are either subtracting 1 or adding one. (I hope this helps you as much as it's helped me!)

The next set of "posters" is one of the first things I teach my kids how to use. I wish I had a visual of what this looks like in my classroom, but I don't. I'll try my best to explain! Early on in the year I emphasize the importance of being able to differentiate between "adding" and "subtracting". Certain terms tell us what we need to do. For example, if a story problem tells us to "find the sum of 4 and 5" most of us (adults) know we need to add. For children, this is sometimes tricky. 

I typically keep these posters around my calendar area (where most of my math materials are located) so that children can place Post-Its on each poster when they come across a word, term, problem, or situation that requires them to add or subtract. We talk about these posters constantly and we refer to them when we are having difficulty determining whether we add or subtract. When I get these up (and running) in my classroom, I will take a picture!

I hope you find them helpful! Oh, and make sure to print them on legal size paper!

Addition & Subtraction Posters