Teaching Two Digit Addition Strategies

Two Digit Addition Strategies

Hi, it's Jane Feener dropping by to discuss some of the ways I have taught two digit addition strategies in my class this past month.  I can now finally say that I have learned how to do it using all the various strategies that are being shown to students today.  Before moving to second grade the only way I knew how to add two numbers was with the good old traditional vertical algorithm that I was taught in school.  Now, my students tend to chose their own ways and I am okay with that. 

Use a blank number line

This one I thought would be confusing for my students but most got it right away.  I think they liked the idea of hopping along the line like a bunny.  If you were adding 46 + 35, you would start with the largest number and place it at the beginning of the blank number line and then you would make 3 large jumps for the 3 tens.  Next, you would make 5 smaller jumps for the 5 ones.  The students count by 10 first and then by ones to come to the answer 81.  As long as your students can count by 10's this strategy works well.

Use a hundred chart

As long as students have a hundred chart at their disposal, this strategy is a great one to use.  My students have name tags on their desks that contain a small hundreds chart so I often saw them referring to their chart.  I also had large hundred charts copied and laminated for my students to use.

If they were adding 46 + 35 on the hundred chart, their first step would be to circle the largest number which in this case would be 46.  Next, they would move down vertically 3 rows for the 3 tens and then move horizontally to the right for the 5 ones to come to the sum of 81.  When I taught this I made squares around the tens and circled the ones just to give students a reminder that they were going down by tens and then changed to the circles to show the ones.  I also used a marker to put arrows on the the hundred chart to help those students who needed a little reminder.

Use place value

This strategy took a little bit more explanation but once students figured out how to decompose the numbers into tens and ones, they were experts at solving sums this way.  I know the poster may look a bit complicated but I found that by using circles and squares for the different place values helped my students.  My students also liked drawing the arrows.

Use base ten blocks

I found for any of my students that experienced difficulty with adding two digit numbers, that this was the best strategy to start with.  I worked at the small table with students using the base ten blocks to solve various problems and it was wonderful to see little lights coming on in their heads as they started to figure it out.  I had a few students who I gave a small ziploc bag of base ten blocks for them to keep at their desk and use as needed.

My students really enjoyed singing and dancing along to this YouTube video as well.  These teachers are great!                                  

You can find a copy of these posters and a booklet with an answer key to practice each strategy here.

Two Digit Addition Strategies Poster and Booklet

You can get this free poster of the more traditional method of two digit addition in the preview.  Just check here.

If you have any other videos or tips you use to teach Two Digit addition, I would love to hear about them.  Now I am off to learn all the different subtraction strategies!

5 Time-Saving Tips for Teachers

Happy Wednesday! I'm Krista from The Knitted Apple and I'm excited to be back with another blog post on Who's Who!

There is a major change that happens at this time of the year.  The switch from the carefree summer schedule (where I’m not even sure of the day) to the minute-by-minute scheduling that is part of teaching.   Our shiny new teacher calendars and planners are opened for the first time and quickly filled with to-do lists, reminders, and meetings.

It’s always a jolt to return to a such a rigid schedule, and there is never enough time to get everything done.  I manage to squeak out just a little more time in the day by using time-saving strategies. Here are the top five time-savers that I use every day.

1. Use a timer.
I consider a timer to be a time-saver because it helps me use time effectively.  I use a timer regularly during math, reading, and writing workshop.  Before I used a timer my mini lessons would run long and I would lose time needed for meeting with small groups.  I would then have to make up that time the next day, sometimes putting me behind for the rest of the week.  Now  I use a small digital timer to limit my mini lesson time.  When the timer goes off  I wrap up my thoughts and move into working with small groups or individual students.

2. Simplify your conference records.
When conferring with students during writing or reading workshop,  I try to spend more time listening and less time writing.  When I first started conferring with students I took meticulous notes as individual students read aloud or shared writing pieces with me.  Unfortunately I wasn’t the best at giving feedback because I was too busy recording data.  Now I give students my full attention, which results in a more productive conference.  As soon as they get up to leave, I quickly jot down the highlights of the session.  I find that I'm able to meet with more students during the time given and have more useful information which I can use to plan the next conference.

3. Organize your everyday items. 
This is the one I struggle with the most, especially at home.  I am constantly looking for my sunglasses, phone, keys, etc.  At school I am a bit more disciplined.  Near my desk I have wall hooks for those items I need every day, like my classroom keys, badge, and recess whistle.  The few times I have forgotten to place these items in their "home" have resulted in frustration and wasted time.

4. Create a PowerPoint slide for morning work or directions.
One time-saver I am consistent with is the use of single slides for morning work and directions.   I use PowerPoint to create a single slide like the one shown below and display it on the large projector screen. I make it engaging for students by using a school or seasonal theme.  Students are trained from the beginning of the year to check the screen as they enter the classroom.  Mornings are now more focused as students complete their tasks independently.   I am free to greet students, check homework, and submit attendance.  I save this slide on my computer desktop and use it every day, changing the information as needed.

5.  Use newsletter templates.  I mentioned in tip #4 that I create a single PowerPoint slide for morning work and quickly change it every day as needed.  I also use templates for weekly newsletters, which communicate curriculum and other important news to parents.  Once the template is created I can quickly change the information each week.  The newsletter shown below is part of my Superhero Newsletter Templates.  

Hopefully these time-savers will be useful to you.  I’d love to hear your time-saving tips.  Please post your tips in the comments! 

If you are interested in viewing the Superhero PowerPoint and Newsletter Templates as shown in the pictures, just click the images above.  I also have many free newsletter templates for you to try! Click here to check out the free newsletter templates in my TpT store. 

Happy Time-Saving!