Reply to No doing well with Common Core, but we'll with Singapore math

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
I disagree.   I think it's great to teach a 6/7 yr old how to add 2 numbers in different ways.  It gives them an understanding of how numbers work.  When a young child first starts to learn to add, how do they do it?  Most of them start counting with their fingers, so 7+1+1+1. This was how we taught our DCs at home at 5 or so when they would ask addition type questions.  We would tell them to work it out by counting up from one of the numbers.  Then you teach them, well the 1+1+1=3, so 7+3.  Then you teach them what makes up a 3 -- 2 and 1, so 7+2+1.  This can all be taught within a few days.

Teaching a 6/7 yr old to add 3 + 7 without a basic understanding of counting up from 7 would be too difficult as they have little number sense.[/quote]

It's not very efficient to teach all these different methods.   What I like about SIngapore Math is that it is a curriculum that just spells out one way (the most efficient) to teach kids in the early years to get to the answer.   There is a logical progression and it all makes sense.

I didn't realize that Singapore Math didn't use the concept of "doubles" facts.   But if they are doing counting on as +1,+2 and +3 facts, and then any fact that is over 10 is taught via the "make a ten" strategy, the only facts that are left to just plain memorize are 4+4 and 4+5.   I'd still use "doubles" and "double plus one" to teach those; I don't know how Singapore does it.

So you teach kids first their +0 facts
Then to "count on" by 1, 2 and 3 (the +1, +2 and +3 facts)
Then memorize number bonds to 10 (three of which also are counting on facts)   
1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5
Then you have them memorize 4+4 and 4+5

That's all the facts that sum to 10 or fewer.

The rest of the basic facts you teach through the "make a ten strategy"

6+5   = (6+4)+1  = 10 +1 = 11
6+6  = (6+4) +2  = 10+ 2=  12
6+7   = (6+4) +3  = 10+3= 13
6+8  = (6+4) + 4  = 10+4= 14
6+9 = (6+4) + 5 = 10+5 = 15

7+4 = (7+3)+1 = 10+1 = 11

etc.

What you DON'T do is then turn around and give different ways to solve those problems, and make them color worksheets saying "this is a doubles fact" or have them find all the different ways you can add 6 and 9  (like 6 +2+3+4 or whatever).   Just pick ONE way and use it over and over until the facts are fluid.

I think this is where a lot of teachers (and curricula) go wrong -- in implying that kids need to break down numbers (decompose them) just to put them together again willy nilly.   You don't do that.  You break them down for a specific purpose -- to be able to use the make a ten strategy.   Keep the end goal in mind and don't do a lot of this filler stuff for no reason.

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