Maths addition and subtraction

[Coffeep]

Hi

My son is in year 2 (7 early next yr), he is struggling with maths, in particular the addition and subtraction work he has been doing in the past 5 weeks.

He is making some basic errors and he is struggling with the concept of partitioning and moving to the nearest 10 to work out the sum e.g. 46 - 8 = 46-6=40. Then there is 2 left as 8 - 6 = 2. 40 - 2 - 38. He will struggle with 46-6 = 40 (he'll have to use his fingers) and then for 40 - 2 he will say is 48 rather than 38. He is ok doing column addition / subtraction.

If i explain to him 30+6- 36, 40+6= 46 etc, that only the ones change and then tens remain the same, he will remember it and apply it and then forget in a week's time.

This maths was good last year (exceeding expectations) and he is in the top set in his year group. Aside from homework from school (2 sheets a week) and learning timestables I have not made him do any extra work. Is there anything I should be doing to help him. He is happy to sit down for 20 mins to learn something, if he is in the mood.
How can I help him?

I am thinking of ordering some CGP or PowerMaths books and spending some time going over some basic stuff twice a week during xmas.

I'm all for sorting out issues earlier rather than later.

I'd personally use:

• number lines (first with all the numbers, then with only putting in the numbers he needs)
• a number square so he can see that 10 more than 32 is 42 because the numbers are in the same column
• coins for column addition/subtraction

Using the number lines & square really helps 'picture' the maths, similarly manipulating coins.

Otherwise you run the risk he is managing the column methods 'by rote' rather than understanding, which can lead to problems later.

you should probably revisit number partitioning via number bonds--i.e 63 is 60 and 3. If you complement that work with blocks as a visual aid, I'm s sure it will click for him. When an abstract concept isn't clicking going back to physical objects is usually a good approach.

Amazon sell great blocks for math work. You can set up 6 connected blocks of ten and 3 single block and then physically show how removing the single blocks results in the new sum.

Thanks. At school, because he is in the top set, they don't use any tools so i think that might be confusing him.

What about Numicon, are these any good for a year 2 student?

That's a mistake. Its proven even top set pupils learn better mastery using concrete objects for the initial stages of learning. It greatly improves conceptual understanding and numeracy.

For what you need I'd just use something as simple as these:

www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Resources-Mathlink-Cubes-Set/dp/B000URL296/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?hsa_cr_id=9480179130302&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8&aaxitk=V..sso-RnyAdqO8.EPrPEw

If you are looking for a book, I'd recommend year 2A Maths No Problem. It has a lot of partitioning problems with picture guides to aid comprehension.

Don't worry though, some kids struggle with these types of bridging exercises but it is good for them to learn them as it helps with mental math skills.

Hope that helps!

Hi - thanks. I have purchased some stuff of amazon and bid on Numicon via ebay. I am hoping with the blocks he will enjoy sitting down and solving some maths problems.

I think the school is making an error but not have tools that the children can use to do some sums but hopefully spending 15 mins a few days a week over xmas will set him well for when he returns.

thanks to everyone for their help

Are they teaching him subtraction on a number line? Because if they are, then that is where his stumbling block lies. My dd was naturally numerate, and could do subtraction in her head, understood the concept etc, but get her to do it on a number line and she would cock it up every time.

Going to back to concrete representation of the concept always helps. Google ' concrete visual abstract' maths. Sometimes, schools tend to jump straight to the abstract which without the fundamentals would confuse the brightest of kids.
The amazon recommendation given by an earlier poster is a good one. He needs to see numbers like 46 as '4 tens and 6 units' etc. Keep up the good work!!

As @LondonGirl83 said, Maths No Problem is an excellent text book with lots of graphics and focussed on the visualisation of place value, and move into abstract representation, which seems to be what your child is struggling to retain.

Although if he understands, and it's just a case of retention and reinforcement, I'd be more tempted to use 'toys' to make it less like extra work. The base 10 toys or cuisenaire rods, or multi link cubes are all great for consolidating understanding of grouping into 10s and you can play some games with them like getting him to 'make' 43, 17, 96 etc.

They're a great investment too, if you're keen to support your child. These 'toys' will be useful all the way through to secondary. My year 5 child is using them to support column subtraction - exchanging a 'ten' for 10 ones to 'borrow'.

We did smarty maths. DS got to eat them when he got the sums right.

We lined up columns of tens and then added six. I think it helps if they can visualise a question and then check the answer for themselves.

@kolo my DD used them for borrowing and carrying over as well. She can do the written method but it still helps reinforce what is actually happening to show it visually. In fact, I set up the problem and she figured out she had to borrow a ten for herself intuitively with blocks and so when we moved in to the abstract column method it seemed obvious!

You can ask for him to be moved down a few sets as he's struggling. Would probably do him a world of good.

[quote LondonGirl83]@kolo my DD used them for borrowing and carrying over as well. She can do the written method but it still helps reinforce what is actually happening to show it visually. In fact, I set up the problem and she figured out she had to borrow a ten for herself intuitively with blocks and so when we moved in to the abstract column method it seemed obvious![/quote]
Exactly! In years past we spent so much time teaching 'methods' without enough emphasis on understanding behind the method, that it's no wonder people complain that they don't get how their kids are doing maths, or that they struggle to remember methods themselves. Like borrowing. Lots of maths should be intuitive if you spend enough time on the concrete.

I've got the multi-link cubes at home for my own kids because I used them so much in teaching maths concepts. They're such a bargain. Number bonds, place value, symmetry, probability (10 cubes in a bag...), pentominoes, transformations, plans and elevations, algebra (collecting terms for eg, or nth term. Half the time they just make guns with them, though 😂