Addition & Subtraction Strategies in Action! (videos)

Hi there! It's Tara from 180 Days and Counting! Now that most states have been immersed into the Common Core Math Standards, how are you feeling about them? Stressed, overwhelmed, ecstatic, enthusiastic? Do you consider yourself an expert, novice, or somewhere in between? I remember my first year with the CC, I was definitely feeling stressed and overwhelmed. There was so much new and not many resources. One of the areas I found myself ~~drowning~~ struggling with was learning how to teach computational strategies. Prior to CC, I only taught the standard algorithm for 2 and 3 digit equations, although, I never felt it was very effective. Over the years, I've mainly worked with students that are below or low in math. The standard algorithm just wasn't for them. The only way to get them to be "successful" was to teach them the tried and true rhyme..."more on the top, please don't stop. More on the floor, go next door!" I'm sure you've heard it, sang it, dreamt it. This may work for many teachers but what I realized was that my students were memorizing the rhyme but not truly understanding the process. Carrying and borrowing became automatic, yet when asked to explain their thinking, this is the look I got...

Then, the Common Core came along and we had to stop teaching the standard algorithm, teach multiple computational strategies, AND expect mastery of triple-digit addition/subtraction with regrouping by the end of the year. WHOA!!!! WHAT. WERE. THEY. THINKING!! Well, four years later...I'm a FAN!!! Computational strategies are definitely a game changer in my math class.

There are multiple strategies with different names. In my math class, we use Break it Down, Base 10 Blocks, and Empty Number line. I had a few of my students demonstrate how easy these strategies are...watch them in ACTION!