How to do vertical addition

[rollerskaterabbit]

Hi everyone. How do they teach adding say two digit numbers on top of each other now? I mean like 33 + 24. Do they do it left to right i.e 3+2 then 3+4? What if you have to carry over? Thanks for your help. I hope you follow what I mean as bit tricky to explain.

right to left, so digits first, then tens etc. Some schools carry by putting the figure at the top of the next column, some by putting it at the bottom ( underneath the answer line)

units first ( not digits!)

I would do it as Spaniel said, but they do it differently now - best to ask your dc (or at the school if they don't know)

m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=9noMS5nveL4

Have a look on youtube. The partitioning she does irritates me, though, because she adds the hundreds first...and then I get kids, who struggle with the compact method because they start at the front and get confused. I always teach them to start from the back. Numbers you "carry" into the next column can be written at the top or bottom of that column,...although it seems to be more common to put them at the bottom and means they don't get it confused with the subtraction ones.

Schools should have a calculation policy which sets out which methods are taught when and how! If your school doesn't have one on its website, try another local schools ( many are similar across a local authority!) Be aware though, the new curriculum will mean new policies are being written !!

www.mellingweb.co.uk/PDFs/Melling%20Primary%20School%20Maths%20Calculation%20Policy.pdf is pretty comprehensive but each school will have slightly different ways of setting it out!

Calculation methods very from school to school; some use a grid method where for a some like 25 + 16 they will get the children to do 20 + 10 and then 5 + 6. Personally I've always found the traditional column method to be more efficient, working from right to left.

Hmm, the only time I MIGHT suggest adding from the left if I were partitioning mentally, So 123 +234 would be 100 +200=300, 20+30=50, 3+4=7 so 357. But that still causes some difficulties when carrying across the tens/hundreds etc.
Since you are paying her, I would suggest you tell her you want your son to be taught addition from right to left, it's your money!!

Thanks for the replies