Y1 - How to teach less than 10/more than 10

[glutten4punishment]

My daughter (5) is in Y1 and is usually pretty good at maths. She's passed all her challenges this year so far with no issues.

But her seeming ignorance to this next number challenge has left me quite upset.

Firstly, it's like she hasn't even seen this challenge before - as in, school haven't thought it to her. (I'm sure they have.)

For less than 10 I've tried to show her this way, e.g. 10 less than 29:

29
10 (take 1 from 2 and 0 from 9)

= 19

But when I ask her what 2 minus 1 is (and I've worded it in all its variations) she says she doesn't know!! She absolutely knows what 2-1 is. And I've shown her countless times over the last few days using pens, fingers etc. Still no. Basic sums!

I've been in tears over this (privately) as she has a test this week.

Is there anything I can do?

Can you practice counting in 10s? Up and down?

For 29 you need to think about place value - it's a 20 and a 9. So she's taking 10 away from 20 not 1 away from 2.

If she can count 1-10, then she can do 1 more and 1 less.
If she can count in 10s 10-100 then she can count 10 more and 10 less.

I would write out a number line with 10 - 20 - 30 - 40 etc on it and get her to physically move forwards and backwards on it (with her finger, pen, counter).

Less than 10 is one thing (so, numbers 1-9 are less than 10), 10 less than x is another (eg, 10 less than 29 is 19). Which are you focusing on?

Has she used a '100 square' so she can see it in context? Has the teacher explained how they do it in class - it maybe confusing if she's trying to learn different methods at home & school.

First stop stressing. It'll be the way you're teaching it that's different to school and she doesn't have another 29 children echoing her ideas.

I would recommend using a hundred square and counters to jump up and down.

Another resource is place value cards (arrow cards)
Ten sticks and ones.
Place value flip charts.

FYI I teach Y1 👍🏻

Concrete resources will help. Try using Lego and making sticks of 10 and single blocks: 29 would be 2 sticks and 9 blocks. Practice adding and subtracting loads this way.

I teach in yr1 and teach it using Deines which is basically the same as what EskSmith described with the Lego. She needs to be able to physically see it.

From what i recall of Y1, they use a number line to do addition/subtraction not the column method. So you find 29 on a number line and count backwards. Initially you'd do 10 x 1 digit jumps but as they get more confident they might jump in 2s, 5s and then 10s.

Thanks so much all.
I def think we've been approaching it the wrong way. I asked her how she's learning them in school and she said she wasn't. Which can't be right so I had to try some way of teaching.

@AbbyHammond - this approach sounds completely doable. I just hope her test wasn't today and I get to practice with her this eve.

Ooops, posted too soon.

@EskSmith - I'll try the sticks method too. I was using pens, Lego, anything I could find but just using the wrong method! 🤦🏻‍♀️

The reason I'm stressing is she's already behind slightly in her reading and I so don't want her to be behind in maths, especially as she's been so good at it so far.

Just to add 10p's and pennies are also good for this too. So 29p is 2 x 10p and nine pennies. 10 less, take a 10p away. If they're confused, something concrete helps a lot.

If you get an exercise book with large squares, you can draw, colour and cut out single squares and strips of 10. You can then show her how 29 can be partitioned into two strips of 10 and nine units. It is then easy to show her adding another 10 or taking one away. When she is used to this, relate it to a sum by writing 29=20+9. Then
29-10=
20+9-10=
20-10+9
Do not worry about her not getting bits you think should be simple. I home educated dd for a while. Sometimes things I though would be obvious she struggled with. Just leave it and come back to it. Also, when teaching, waiting for them to work it out, rather than showing them how to get the answer, helps them learn. But do not stress. I also had bits when I thought it was impossible to put things simpler, but also bits when I could not believe how quickly she understood

Sorry, just realised this is a zombie thread with ad attatched.