In this activity, students use the Kidspiration program on the computer to depict addition and subtration fact families. Fact families are used to connect addition and subtraction as inverse operations. Fact families also help students to memorize their basic facts. Students here move color tiles to make different combinations of 9.
For this example, the student uses green and orange tiles. Conceptually, it is easy for students to connect the picture with the fact family. 2 orange + 7 green = 9 tiles total. Typically, the addition sentences are easy for the students, but the subtraction can be trickier for some. But by using the picture, the student can reason that if there are 9 tiles and 2 orange tiles are taken away, then there are 7 green tiles remaining,
or 9 - 2 = 7. Relating the three numbers 2, 7 and 9, is a strategy for learning basic facts. And instead of learning one fact, the student has learned 4 related facts.
Looking at the MCPS curriculum, the concepts of addition and subtraction come up over and over again in Kindergarten, and grades 1 and 2. Fact families and basic facts are also covered throughout grades 1 and 2. By the end of grade 2, students are expected to know all of their addition and subtraction facts up to 18. But students are given two full years to master them completely. That means that they should be exposed to activities that help them master the facts over and over again.
Download Kidspiration Files for fact family activities like the one above.
These files will only work in the Kidspiration Program
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Indictors:
6.1.4 .1 demonstrate mastery of
addition and subtraction fact families
(sums through 10).
6.1.4.2 develop, use, and explain
strategies to add and subtract single-digit
whole numbers.
6.2.4.1 demonstrate mastery of
basic addition/subtraction fact
families (sums through 18).
