How can i help my Yr3 DD with Spelling and Maths "Counting On"

[WileywithSageStuffing]

Ok will try to keep this brief. My DD's spelling is pretty poor. She still spells a lot of words phonetically. She is a free reader and her comprehension is great. We have discussed dyslexia but it is purely the spelling that is weak - she doesn't transpose letters/words etc.

How can i help this without constant spelling tests? if i do this she does learn them but it is not without it's drama

The next thing is basic math. If i ask her what is 25 + 15 it takes her ages to count on. She just doesn't get adding 10 then 5 to it. But she can count up and back in 2, 5, 10's and 3's when tested?! She just doesn't get "counting on" and is happy to go back to using fingers.

Have done number bonds and she can do all of these. It is just so frustrating and i cannot think of a good way to explain the easiest way to count on. I am weak at Math myself. In Math tests she does well. Its just the speed that we need to work on.

Any help/advice much appreciated

Does she understand place value? i.e. in the number 23, the digit '2' represents 2 tens, while the digit '3' represents 3 units. If she gets that, then it's easier to see that 2 tens add another ten makes 3 tens.

Another technique that will help - you say that she can count on in 10s, but can she do it starting from any number? Can she count 2, 12, 22, 32...? Or 7, 17, 27, 37...? That reinforces the place value concept again.

Have you tried counting on and back in 10s using a 100 square? That should help to visually what happens when you make jumps of 10.

Then move onto using a number line to make jumps.

WileywithSageStuffing:

Have you tried making it visual. Christmas is an excellent time because there usually is a lot of things about (candies, toy parts, etc...)

Try having her count on with visual clues.

So your example 25 + 15

First discuss with her what object she wants to be her tens and what object she wants to be her units.

So she might choose ornaments for tens and chocolates for units.

Explain that when she has 10 chocs because you don't have an infinite supply, you'll change that over for one ornament.

so 25 = 2 ornaments + 5 chocolates (make that pile 1)
and 15 = 1 ornament + 5 chocolates (make this pile 2 - somewhere separate)

Now try adding the ornament on first and then the choclates.

25 + 10 = ?

Move the ornament from 15 over to the other pile. Count up 3 ornaments and 5 chocolates - 25 + 10 = 35.

Now add on the remaining units from pile 2

so 35 + 5 = 40.

A few games on line:

BBC KS1 bitesize game Adventure sequences: www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/maths/number_sequences/play/ - you can chose the interval and count on - fairly easy but very visual so may help.

From ambelside primary Addition Pyramid: www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/pyramid.html - again you can chose level but it helps to think about addition in steps.

Catapault jump - pull the rock back on bottom left to increase number (distance) to destroy castle - helps to visualise jump to nearest ten: www.ictgames.com/catapultCountOn/index.html

Other bridging 10 games here: www.ictgames.com/bridgingThro.htm have an explore.

HTH

Use an abacus. This will show place value and help with basic additions. Also helps with times tables etc. need to get one with one bead for a five in the top section. It is really helping my dd in year 4 reinforce the basics and with her speed in calculations. There areguideson the Internet.

Hi WileywithSageStuffing

losigntrust has a good idea there and there are some nice on-line abacus programmes.

Try this one: www.ictgames.com/abacusInteger.html

I like it because you have to set up your units, tens, etc.... so your DC has to put in both numbers and can see when a column needs to be converted from say 10 units to 1 ten.

HTH