Grades K to 1- Number (Number Operations)

The sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will demonstrate and use a variety of methods to show the processes of addition and subtraction on one-digit whole numbers.

It is expected that students will:

demonstrate and orally describe the process of addition and subtraction to 18 using role-play, manipulatives, and diagrams (memorization is not intended)

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Number (Number Operations) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Children need to make sense of the different ways that numbers are used so that they can develop an understanding of the relationship both within a number and between numbers. They should develop computational skills by doing meaningful tasks each day, both in school and at home. Their conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction begins with concrete experiences arising from problem situations. These experiences provide them with the opportunity to understand the purpose for their computations, as well as the opportunity to develop their arithmetic skills of adding and subtracting.

Have students act out different classroom situations:
- Three people are going to the library, and two are going to use the computer lab. How many are going altogether?
- There are six cookies on the plate. Johnny takes two. How many are left?
- Five people chose 2% milk for lunch. Seven chose orange juice. How many more chose orange juice than milk?
When dealing with calendar activities, have children count forward and back to specific days or events. Ask:
- How many days until ___________'s birthday?
- How many days since we went skating?
Have students roll a die (with numbers 4 to 9 on it) and place that number of counters on their work space. Have them roll the die again. Ask them whether they need to add or subtract counters to make the new number.
Have children use two colour counters to "spill the beans" and then tell how the beans landed (e.g., four red and two yellow).

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Young children often have difficulty describing number operations in an abstract way, but are able to show how they did something. Thus, the results (products) of their work may be records of their activities rather than a demonstration of their understanding. If you observe children as they work towards an answer and talk to them about what they are doing, it will help you to determine the extent to which they are able to understand the processes of addition and subtraction.

Observe

Observe how children solve the problems described under "Suggested Instructional Strategies." Ask them probing questions such as: How did you figure that out? Is there another way to solve the problem? Show me. Make up another problem like this.
Present students with a task such as the following: If I have six counters and two are red, how many are yellow? Show me how you know.

Record

Videotape the children's role-plays of different classroom situations and have them use manipulatives to illustrate what happened.
Have children make pictorial records of their dice-rolling activities.