Problems like this makes my kiddos nuts! I have finally figured out a simpler way to help them subtract
accurately without any "magic" numbers showing up! Maybe you all have already figured this out, but just incase there are others who were struggling with this as I have been, I thought I would share a teaching strategy.
My kids know they need to borrow from the zero, but they cannot figure out how or what number that silly zero turns into. I started asking my kids to look at the next number beside the zero and make it a double digit number. In this case, we would look at 30 instead of just 0. Then, I ask my kids, "What number comes just before 30?" It takes some of them a few seconds to think of the answer, but they can count backward and figure out that 29 comes just before 30. So we cross out 30, make it a 29, and add the "1" in front of the number in the one's place.
You can find more great teaching tips from Charity at the OC Blog here!
What a super easy idea! Thanks for sharing your 5-Star Blog and linking up!
ReplyDeleteCharity
The Organized Classroom Blog
That is a great way. I have used this way. The great thing is having more than one way that works and let students use the one they like best. I always try to give my students at least 3 ways to solve a problem. Great post!!!
DeleteThis is how I teach my students. I currently teach remedial math on the college level, and many of my students have never seen this method. I trust many elementary teachers will start introducing this a a viable strategy!
ReplyDeleteI have used this strategy for years, but we start with renaming numbers so they understand the principal behind the action. Students need to understand that the 30 part of 300 is another way to say 30 tens. So when you trade, borrow, or regroup you take a 10 away from 30 tens and it leaves you with 29 tens. Butt it does work every time. So much easier!
ReplyDeleteI really do know the difference between principle and principal...darn auto fill. :)
DeleteThat was easy!! I will try this with my kiddos. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat was easy!! I will try this with my kiddos. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe only issue i have with this method is it should only be a trick for struggling students. As an 8th grade math teacher, I see kids with no number sense all the time. They need to understand that they are borrowing a hundred and making ten tens and then borrowing a ten. If they understand the concept than tricks are ok.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you marnold. As great as some tricks may seem, I find they can create larger problems with number sense. However, the method Mrs. Labrum mentioned makes perfect sense and allows students to have a deeper understanding of numbers beyond 10 tens, 10 hundreds, etc. Using the two together -I love it!
ReplyDeleteI struggled so much with math in elementary and middle school that I can still remember specific page numbers that I had to correct and re-correct over and over. This is awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteIt took me teaching my own kids to figure this one out myself. All through my own schooling, I never thought of it like that. You just made the 0 a 9 because the teacher said so.
ReplyDeleteHah! That is soo genius!
ReplyDeleteIt is a very helpful method for "our kids".
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