Basic skills are those skills that are used routinely and automatically. The second grade computational skills of addition and subtraction are an important building block in basic skills. The sooner students memorize them, the sooner they can mathematically move on to more complicated skills requiring computation. Students need to master them in order to solve problems and perform mathematical functions. Just as they needed to know and understand the letters of the alphabet in order to read, write and spell.
The bottom line in learning addition and subtraction facts is memorization. Even memorizing can be fun and the process can be made easier if a child sees patterns in the numbers and has an understanding of the operations. The following activities should be used to enrich your relationship with your child, and your child's relationship with mathematics. Besides learning to compute, children benefit from enjoying the computations and appreciating the structure of numbers. Try the different methods of practicing and memorizing the basic facts of addition and subtraction. Discover which has the most appeal and success for your family.
Mastery comes with repeated practice. Flash cards, computer games, or card games will help your child in the memorization of these facts. Put a set of flash cards in your car, orally ask/quiz your child while driving, or waiting at restaurants, play concentration and addition war. It will be less tedious, if you have a wide variety of activities to reinforce the math facts. You can purchase flash cards from a variety of stores or make your own using index cards. Short and consistent intervals of practice work best. Remember, each child learns at his/her own rate. Praise, patience and persistence on your part will be the best way to help your child achieve mastery of their math facts.
ADDITION FACTS TO 18| 9+9, 9+8, 9+7, 9+6, 9+5, 9+4, 9+3. 9+2, 9+1, 9+0, 8+9, 8+8, 8+7, 8+6, 8+5, 8+4, 8+3, 8+2, 8+1, 7+7, 7+6, 7+5, 7+4, 7+3, 7+2, 7+1, 7+0, 6+6, 6+5, 6+4, 6+3, 6+2, 6+1, 6+0, 5+5, 5+4, 5+3, 5+2, 5+1, 5+0, 4+4, 4+3, 4+2, 4+1, 4+0, 3+3+, 3+2, 3+1, 3+0, 2+2, 2+1, 2+0, 1+1, 1+0. |
SUBTRACTION FACTS TO 18| 18-9, 17-9, 17-8, 16-9, 19-8, 16-7, 15-9, 15-8, 15-7, 15-6, 14-9, 14-7, 14-6, 14-5, 13-9, 13-8, 13-7, 13-6, 13-5, 13-4, 12-9, 12-8, 12-7, 12-6, 12-5, 12-4, 12-3, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 11-2, 10-9, 10-8, 10-7, 10-6, 10-5, 10-4, 10-3, 10-2, 10-1, 9-9, 9-8, 9-7, 9-6, 9-5, 9-4, 9-3, 9-2, 9-1, 9-0, 8-8, 8-7, 8-6, 8-5, 8-4, 8-3, 8-2, 8-1, 8-0, 7-7, 7-6, 7-5, 7-4, 7-3, 7-2, 7-1, 7-0, 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 5-5, 5-4, 5-3, 5-2, 5-1, 5-0, 4-4, 4-3, 4-2, 4-1, 4-0, 3-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 2-2, 2-1, 2-0, 1-1, 1-0. |
Use flash cards for five to ten minutes on a regular basis. Take out all the facts that your child has already mastered. Separate the remaining flash cards into smaller groups. First, work with addition facts, ten and under, that have not been memorized; for example: 6+4, 5+3, 3+6. Then work with subtraction facts ten and under. When your child has most of the ten and under addition and subtraction facts memorized, mix them together and continue to review. The next grouping would be math facts under fifteen. Your goal is the memorization or quick recall of addition and subtraction facts to 18. Working in smaller groups, makes the task more manageable and helps your child focus on certain combinations until they are memorized. Subtraction facts take a little longer to memorize than addition facts, therefore, these facts need extra practice.
Help your child understand the relevance of addition and subtraction in your daily life. Model the use of computation when you balance your check book, figure out how many minutes left, how many more miles, how much change you will get back, how many pages left in the book, etc.. Although you use mathematics every day, these calculations are usually invisible. By verbalizing the many occasions that you use mathematics in your life, you are demonstrating the importance of mathematics outside the classroom.
