Mastering the Basic Math

Facts in Addition and

Subtraction

Mastering the Basic Math

Facts in Addition and
Subtraction
Strategies, Activities & Interventions to
Move Students Beyond Memorization
Susan OConnell andJohn SanGiovanni

HEINEMANN
Portsmouth, NH

Heinemann
361 Hanover Street
Portsmouth, NH 038013912
www.heinemann.com
Offices and agents throughout the world
2011 by Susan OConnell andJohn SanGiovanni
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who
may quote brief passages in a review; and with the exception of reproducibles (identified by the Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction copyright line),
which may be photocopied for classroom use.

Dedicated to Teachers is a trademark of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

OConnell, Susan.
Mastering the basic math facts in addition and subtraction : strategies, activities &
interventions to move students beyond memorization / Susan OConnell and John
SanGiovanni.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-0-325-02963-4
ISBN-10: 0-325-02963-6
1. AdditionStudy and teaching (Primary). 2. SubtractionStudy and teaching
(Primary). I. SanGiovanni, John. II. Title.
QA115 .O33 2011
372.72dc22
2010046911

Editor: Victoria Merecki

Production: Victoria Merecki
Cover and interior designs: Palmer Creative Group
Composition: Publishers Design and Production Services, Inc.
Manufacturing: Steve Bernier
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
15 14 13 12 11 VP 1 2 3 4 5

Dedication

To sweet Bailey with love

S.O.
To Kay, thank you for being a mentor and friend
J.S.

Contents
Foreword

xiii

Acknowledgments

xv

Introduction

What are basic facts? 1

What constitutes mastery of basic facts? 2
Why do we need to know basic facts? 2
Why is it important to understand math facts? 3
How can we help students master basic math facts? 5
How can this book help you? 7
How is this book organized? 8
What is the teaching sequence of math facts within this book? 9
Why are activities and resources on a CD? 12
Resource for Professional Learning Communities 13
Our Goal 13
Chapter 1

Understanding Addition and Subtraction

15

Exploring Big Ideas to Develop Math Fact Strategies 16

Building Understanding Prior to Focusing on Fluency 18
Using Models to Represent Addition and Subtraction 18
Exploring the Concepts of Addition and Subtraction Through Problems 23
Exploring Operations Through Childrens Literature 25
Partner Explorations 26
The Classroom Environment 27
Beginning with Understanding 29

vii

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Chapter 2

Plus One and Plus Two

31

Focusing on the Big Ideas 32

Understanding +1, +2 Facts 34
Literature Link: Mouse Count 34
Exploring the Facts: Number Strips to Visualize 1 More and 2 More 38
Supporting All Learners 39
Building Automaticity 41
Targeted Practice 42
Monitoring Progress 45
Connecting to Subtraction 46
Chapter 3

Adding Zero

51

Focusing on the Big Ideas 52

Understanding +0 Facts 53
Literature Link: Gray Rabbits 1, 2, 3 53
Exploring the Facts: Acting Out +0 Facts 54
Supporting All Learners 56
Building Automaticity 58
Targeted Practice 58
Monitoring Progress 60
Connecting to Subtraction 60
Chapter 4

Adding Ten

63

Focusing on the Big Ideas 64

Understanding +10 Facts 65

viii

Contents

Literature Link: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie 65

Exploring the Facts: Using Double Ten-Frames 66
Supporting All Learners 68
Building Automaticity 70
Targeted Practice 70
Monitoring Progress 72
Connecting to Subtraction 72
Chapter 5

Doubles

77

Focusing on the Big Ideas 78

Understanding Doubles 78
Literature Link: Double the Ducks 78
Exploring the Facts: Creating Equal Sets 81
Supporting All Learners 82
Building Automaticity 85
Targeted Practice 85
Monitoring Progress 88
Connecting to Subtraction 88
Chapter 6

Making Ten

93

Focusing on the Big Ideas 94

Understanding Making Ten 95
Literature Link: Ten Apples up on Top! 95
Exploring the Facts: The Cupcake Problem 97
Supporting All Learners 98

ix

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Building Automaticity 101

Targeted Practice 101
Monitoring Progress 106
Connecting to Subtraction 107
Chapter 7

Using Tens

111

Focusing on the Big Ideas 113

Understanding Using Tens 114
Literature Link: Diary of a Worm 114
Exploring the Facts: Counters In and Out 117
Supporting All Learners 118
Building Automaticity 121
Targeted Practice 121
Monitoring Progress 123
Connecting to Subtraction 124
Chapter 8

Using Doubles

127

Focusing on the Big Ideas 128

Understanding Using Doubles 129
Literature Link: Fish Eyes 129
Exploring the Facts: Doubles and One More 131
Supporting All Learners 132
Building Automaticity 134
Targeted Practice 134
Monitoring Progress 136
Connecting to Subtraction 137

Contents

One Lonely Fact 140

Retaining Math Facts 140
Automatic Recall of Facts 142
Conclusion

143

References

145

Professional References 145

Childrens Literature 145
Professional Learning Communities Study Guide

147

Guiding Questions 149

A Guide to the CD-ROM

155

Organization of the CD Files 155

Teaching Resources 155
Teaching Tools 155
Fact Cards 155
Assessment Tools 156
Modifications to CD Activities 156

xi

Foreword
Being able to add and subtract within 20 and multiply and divide within 100
is essential during the early years of schooling, and the basic facts of addition/
subtraction and multiplication/division are a critical baseline, not only then
but also during later work with fractions, decimals, ratio, proportion, and
more. Foundational? You better believe it. Essential? Absolutely.
That said, the basic facts are also problematic. The goal is for most students to know, fluently, and with automaticity, the addition/subtraction facts,
typically by the end of second grade and the multiplication/division facts, typically by the end of third grade. But far too many teachers are unable to help
their students reach these goals. Not this year, they may mutter, or, Not all
my students, or worse, Not ever. Why is fluency with the basic facts such
a challenge for so many students? In our digit-conscious culture students can
spout off multiple phone and pin numbers, but not the product of 6 7! I meet
and work with middle school students who are still wondering about 8 7 or
48 6 and other basic facts. Why do far too many students fail to realize that
the commutative property means that 9 + 7 and 7 + 9 get you to the same
place, 16? This drives us all crazy! Have we neglected the basics? Is this about
just having students memorize the facts? No, and no!
Over twenty years ago the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School
Mathematics noted that children should master the basic facts of arithmetic
that are essential components of fluency with paper-pencil and mental computation and with estimation (47).1 The National Research Councils Adding
It Up dedicates almost ten pages to synthesizing the research dealing with
basic fact acquisition.2 More recently, the Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel points out that computational proficiency with whole
number operations depends on the practice (I prefer the term rehearsal) necessary to develop automatic recall of addition/subtraction and multiplication/
division facts.3 Nurturing computational facility in elementary school requires
that students be fluent with the basic facts of arithmetic. How do we get this
done?

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1989. Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.
Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
2
National Research Council. 2001. Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
3
National Mathematics Advisory Panel. 2008. Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics
Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

xiii

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Over the years teachers have tried and continue to use a myriad of practice
activitiesoral and written exercises, games, and classroom and homework
assignments, many of them now via the Internet. At last we have a more effective optionSusan OConnell and John SanGiovannis Mastering the Basic Facts
in Addition and Subtraction: Strategies, Activities & Interventions to Move Students
Beyond Memorization and Mastering the Basic Facts in Multiplication and Division:
Strategies, Activities & Interventions to Move Students Beyond Memorization. What
a find!
Based on Thorntons pioneering work4 emphasizing how thinking strategies facilitate fact acquisition, both books present activities that develop
facility with the basic facts by building a conceptual understanding of the
operations; following a teaching sequence designed to develop a sense of
number using fact strategies and the commutative property; and using representational models and context-based problem solving. (The activities that
link facts to their conceptual representations are also powerful diagnostic
tools.) But theres morerelated childrens literature, partner activities, a professional-learning-community study guide. All these components add up to
resources that engage students, from beginning activities that promote an
understanding of arithmetic concepts, through fluency with the basic facts.
One final consideration: these books will be very helpful to teachers
whose students mathematical knowledge require some level of intervention.
The powerful instructional opportunities these books provide not only make
sense but also meet one of the key recommendations of the What Works Clearinghouses Practice Guide Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics.5
These books wont end up on a shelf at the back of your room. (And if you
are a third/fourth-grade teacher you will probably need both of them.) Youll
use them every day. Youll carry them home with you and talk about them in
the faculty lounge. Just as the basic facts are must haves on the path to computational fluency, these books are must haves to help you navigate the route.
Francis (Skip) Fennell
L. Stanley Bowlsbey Professor of Education & Graduate and Professional Studies
McDaniel College, Westminster, MD
Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Project Director, Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project
http://mathspecialists.org
4 Thornton, C.A. 1978. Emphasizing Thinking Strategies in Basic Fact Instruction. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 16: 337355.
5 Gersten et al. 2009. Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and
Middle Schools. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences.

xiv

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the students whose conversations about math facts inspired
and excited us as we worked on this manuscript. Thanks to the following students who contributed work samples or allowed their photographs to appear
within this book: Samantha Anderson, Jack Bacon, Julia Basket, Riley Benson,
Justus Black, Krysta Carte, Eric Chen, Mason Chizhik, Esme Chu, Anessa
Coleman, Ben Dyer, Nolan Dyer, Eric Ellis, Satya Emerick, Jonah Eng, Maximillian Fagerstrom, Anna Farley, Maya Frye, Emily Gomez, Maggie Inskeep,
Ashley Jeon, Megan Keeley, Christopher Kennedy, Alexandra Liberto, DJ
Lindahl, Emerson Mako, Caitlyn McDonald, Brooke Miller, Joshua Morton,
Adam Mostafa, Brooke Naidu, Dylan Nguyen, Josh Oberly, Rona Okojie, Zion
Olibris, Allison Peay, Jamie Roberts, Hannah Williams, NushratI Rabban,
Jack Ryder, Annie Schinkai, Sydney Schinkai, Oscar Schoenfelder, Deryn
Schoenfelder, Lauren Stipe, Delaney Thompson, Laya Vanga, and Jilienne
Widener. It was a pleasure watching them investigate math facts.
We appreciate the collaboration of colleagues in gathering materials for
this book, in particular the following teachers, math coaches, and supervisors
who welcomed us into their classrooms, provided insights from their own
teaching, or allowed us to listen to the ideas of their students: Elizabeth Bare,
Linda Chrest, Connie Conroy, Heather Dyer, Michelle Glenn, Carol Hahn,
Renee Holdefelder, Ami Holden, Nena Hupp, Rhonda Inskeep, Arthurlea
Kimbrough, Amanda Lewis, Kristen Mangus, Jamie Pickett, Kay Sammons,
and Lee Ann Tanis. Thanks, too, to Josie Robles who had the inspiration to
use ten-bead counters with her second grade students.
We are grateful to Victoria Merecki, our Heinemann editor, for her guidance on this project from start to finish. We value her insights for the writing and production of the book. In addition, we thank Emily Birch for her
vision for this book. Her discussions in the early stages of the book were
invaluable.
Special thanks to our families for their patience and understanding during the writing of this book. To Sues husband Pat, and her children Brendan
and Katie, and to Johns wife Kristen, and Oscar and Deryn, our warmest
thanks for your continued support.

xv

Introduction
As math teachers, we want all of our students to develop a quick recall of
single-digit addition and subtraction facts. We label them basic math facts
because they provide a foundation for math success. We expect that all students will master these basic skills, but that is not a simple goal to achieve. We
watch some students effortlessly remember the facts and others struggle with
the very same task. And we labor to find just the right strategies and activities
to help all students succeed.
As teachers, we are constantly reminded that our students learn in a variety of ways. Although some students have very strong memory skills, others
struggle to remember simple facts. Although some students make sense of
math concepts on their own, others struggle to connect meaning to simple
expressions like 4 + 3. Although some students intuitively use their knowledge of one math fact to find the solution to a related fact, others simply get
frustrated and discouraged when they cannot remember a specific sum. Our
students are so different, and yet our goal for each of them is the same: to master basic math facts so they have a strong foundation for more complex math
skills and procedures. The goal of this book is to explore numerous strategies and activities that support all students in understanding basic addition
and subtraction math facts and committing those facts to memory. Whether
you are introducing students to basic math facts, reviewing previously taught
facts, or providing interventions for students who continue to struggle, this
book supplies you with instructional considerations, teaching tips, practical
strategies, and numerous classroom-tested activities.

What are basic facts?

In this book, facts with addends of 010 are considered basic facts. In some
programs, facts with single-digit addends (09) are considered basic facts,
but because of our emphasis on students use of strategies when learning
basic facts, we have included 10 as an addend. When adding 9 + 6, a student
might reason that 10 + 6 = 16, so 9 + 6 is 1 less, or 15. That reasoning is not
possible without an understanding of 10 as an addend. To ensure that students have the basic number understandings to reason in this way, addends
of 010 are addressed. The strategies and activities within this book will
focus on mastery of these basic math facts.

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

What constitutes mastery of basic

math facts?
In the past, much of mathematics was taught in a drill and practice style.
Students were simply asked to memorize their math facts, often without
much attention to conceptual understanding. Through worksheets filled with
single-digit computations or lengthy flash card sessions, students were asked
to memorize addition and subtraction facts. Our goal in todays math classrooms has shifted from memorizing facts and procedures to increased understanding of math skills and concepts. We want our students to be able to do
mathematics, but we also want them to understand the math they are doing.
We recognize that as math tasks increase in complexity, an understanding of
facts, formulas, and algorithms will help them experience continued success.
We have not changed our view of the importance of basic math facts. We
know that they are a foundational skill without which our students will view
even simple math tasks as daunting. We have simply expanded our expectations to include understanding as an important component of our teaching of
basic math facts. So, what do we expect of our students? Our goal is both automaticity and understanding. Automaticity is students ability to effortlessly
recall a fact. If students are automatic, they have successfully committed the
facts to memory. In addition, we want our students to understand, not simply
remember, these important math facts.

Why do we need to know basic

math facts?
Ask math teachers what they would like their students to know and be able
to do and the recall of basic math facts will undoubtedly rank high on most of
their wish lists. Teachers recognize that once their students know 2 + 5, those
students are better able to explore 20 + 50 or 22 + 55. Teachers recognize that
students will have an easier time finding the solution to $1.20 + $1.50 or .21
+ .53. These teachers know that their students will be more successful when
they are challenged with 82 + 85. As math tasks become more complex, we want
our students to have a solid foundation for success.
We have gained insights from brain research about demands on the working brain. As students begin to learn math facts, their brains are focused on
these basic computations, but as students become automatic with basic facts,

Introduction

their brains are able to focus on other aspects of the task like the challenges of
place value, decimals, or fractions. Being automatic with basic facts frees the
brain to focus on other math processes.
Committing basic math facts to memory speeds up math tasks. As
math tasks increase in complexity, they often require multiple steps to find
the solution. Addition with three-digit addends and subtraction with decimals are examples of more complex computational tasks. These tasks are
time-consuming, and often stressful, for students who must stop to figure out
each basic fact along the way. And stopping to determine each fact disrupts
the flow of the math procedure. The National Mathematics Advisory Panel
(2008) urges that students develop automatic recall of addition and related
subtraction facts to be prepared for the study of algebra, in which solving
multistep equations is a fundamental task. The panel suggests that by the end
of grade 3, students should be proficient with the addition and subtraction of
whole numbers (National Mathematics Advisory Panel 2008).
Students who have committed basic math facts to memory are able to perform critical mental math tasks. They estimate answers prior to solving problems so they are able to compare their estimates to the actual answers and
determine the reasonableness of their solutions. When playing a playground
kickball game, students with mental math skills can determine the new game
score after three more runs are scored, or can compare the team scores to figure out how many runs they will need to score in the final inning to win the
game. As students spy a dozen cookies, they are able to quickly determine
how many will be left after six are eaten, and students with a knowledge of
math facts can efficiently find their total score in a family board game. Mastery of basic facts provides the foundation for everyday mental math tasks.
Automaticity is the quick and effortless recall of math facts. No need to
count every object, no need to think about related facts, no need to extend
patterns. The answer is automatically known. Automaticity with basic facts is
a goal for our students, but alone it is not enough. Students must also understand the facts they are being asked to commit to memory.

Why is it important to understand

math facts?
The ability to recall items is enhanced when understanding is connected to
the task. Memorizing a chain of nonsensical words (e.g., sat chair red girl a in
little the) is more difficult than memorizing a sentence in which the words

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

have meaning (e.g., A little girl sat in the red chair). Asking students to memorize dozens of number facts can be discouraging and confusing when students view them simply as pairs of numbers. The understanding that 7 + 4
represents the combined total of those two quantities, and that the sum is
clearly close to 10, aids our ability to recall the sum.
Students who simply memorize math facts miss a prime opportunity to
expand their understanding of equations. Problem solving is the central focus
in todays math classrooms. To be a successful problem solver, students must
be able to accurately compute answers, but more than that, they must be able
to figure out how to build equations that correspond to problem situations.
Kellens mother asked him to pick up the toy cars he left in the middle of the
floor. He put 7 of them on top of his dresser. He put 6 more in his toy box.
How many cars did he have?

This problem certainly requires the student to know that 7 + 6 = 13, but even
before the student can use his knowledge of math facts to find the answer, he
must understand how to build an equation that works with this problem.
Some cars were placed on the dresser and others were placed in the toy
box. I need to know how many he had altogether so I need to add. 7 + 6
will be how I find the answer.

As we discuss the connection between the meaning of the equation and the
basic math fact, we are supporting both students computation skills as well
as building a strong foundation for problem solving.
Both the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers 2010) and
the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards
(2000) emphasize the importance of our students understanding the concepts
of addition and subtraction. The Common Core State Standards recommend that
kindergarten students be given opportunities to explore addition as combining or adding to and subtraction as separating or taking away. Understanding
is developed first, with practice for fluency coming later.

Introduction

How can we help students master basic

math facts?
We expect that our students will recall math facts without the need for
manipulatives or counting strategies and that the recall will take place within
several seconds. Certainly memorization of math facts is our goal, but memorization that comes from ongoing practice and engagement with math facts
tasks, not memorization that comes from traditional drill and practice. And
we recognize that our students benefit from varied opportunities to explore
basic math facts before engaging in practice tasks designed to promote automatic recall. Through hands-on activities and thoughtful discussions, students develop deeper understandings about math facts and cultivate useful
strategies related to these basic facts. An instructional approach in which students investigate the conceptual understanding of basic facts, explore strategies to support their understanding of numbers, and then engage in strategic
practice in order to automatically recall the facts provides students with a
strong and balanced foundation for mastery.

Conceptual Understanding
Understanding operations is fundamental to understanding math facts. Situations are symbolically represented by expressions. 2 + 5 is more than numbers
and symbols. The addition sign helps us understand the relationship between the
numbers. 2 + 5 represents the combined total of two quantities. The understanding of this relationship is critical to making sense of the expression. Through
problem posing, hands-on explorations, real-world examples, classroom discussions, and exploring situations from childrens literature, students develop
deeper understandings of operations. An addition scenario that shows combined
groups, or a subtraction story that shows comparisons, helps students strengthen
their understanding of operations, and students who understand operations will
find that math facts make sense.
Strategic Thinking
There are many ways that students might arrive at an answer to a math fact.
When adding 8 + 3, Jason might simply count every object being added, and
Katie might simply remember that 8 + 3 = 11. Math fact strategies lie somewhere between counting each object and simply memorizing the answer.
They are predictable and efficient ways to find answers. Colin might count on
beginning at 8 to say 8, 9, 10, 11, while Liam knows that 8 + 2 = 10 so 8 + 3

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

must be 1 more than 10, or 11. Strategies help students find an answer even
if they forget what was memorized. Teaching math fact strategies focuses
attention on number sense, operations, patterns, properties, and other critical
number concepts. These big ideas related to numbers provide a strong foundation for the strategic reasoning that supports mastering basic math facts.
For addition and subtraction, understanding the concept of tens, knowing
that the order of addends will not affect the sum, and recognizing that various numbers can create the same sum (e.g., 5 + 4 = 9 and 6 + 3 = 9) and that
there is a unique relationship between those two equations (e.g., in the second expression, the first addend is one more and the second addend is one
less) allows students to use their knowledge to build strategies to find sums
and differences. Providing opportunities for students to explore math facts
through active engagement and meaningful discussions builds their understanding of critical ideas about numbers (Fosnot and Dolk 2001; Gravemeijer
and van Galen 2003; Van de Walle 2004) and is an important component of
math fact mastery.

Practice for Fluency

Once an understanding of operations has been developed and students have
explored strategic reasoning to find solutions to basic math facts, it is time to
engage students in meaningful practice so they can commit the facts to memory. Rather than long practice sessions (Remember the lengthy flash card drills
of days past?), consider activities that are short in duration but easy to implement, so you can frequently engage students in valuable practice. Scattered
practicefive to ten minutes a day, spread throughout the school yearyields
powerful results (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock 2001). And varying the
practice activities ensures that students stay motivated and engaged in learning their math facts. Automaticity is achieved through brief, frequent, interactive activities that provide students with repeated exposure to math facts.
Because of the anxiety associated with memorization tasks for many students, the practice tasks in this book do not focus on speed or elimination.
Although speed drills or elimination games may be enjoyed by some students,
these types of activities often intensify the frustration and anxiety of others.
Students who struggle with rote memory tasks, those students who are the
reason we include math fact activities in our daily schedule, are just the ones
who become discouraged by the speed drills, experience humiliation when
they are the first to be eliminated, and sit on the sidelines where they do not
get the practice that they need.

Introduction

There are multiple practice activities within this book that engage students in math fact practice without increasing their anxiety or allowing them
to get discouraged. The practice tasks are interactive and hands-on, and provide students with repeated exposure to each set of math facts in a gradual
progression in which each new set of facts builds on previous ones. Select the
activities that work best for your students. Although some students might
find competitive activities fun and motivating, others thrive on collegial tasks.
Throughout this book, you will find activity choices to allow you to personalize math facts practice for your students.

How can this book help you?

This book is a practical guide for helping students master addition and subtraction facts. It includes insights into the teaching of basic math facts including
a multitude of instructional strategies, teacher tips, and classroom activities
designed to help students master their facts. The emphasis is on strengthening students understanding of numbers, patterns, and properties as an essential component of math fact teaching. This book provides valuable resources,
insights, and options to help you introduce your students to basic facts, provide reviews to support mastery, or develop interventions for students who
have not yet mastered basic facts.
In this book, you will find activities and resources for introducing students to basic math facts. You will find tips for generating student talk about
math facts including examples of questions and prompts that direct students
thinking toward big ideas and lead them to insights that will simplify the task
of mastering the facts. You will find activities to support varied levels of learners so that you can choose the right activity to extend learning for high-level
students or modify skills to support struggling students. You will find strategies that are hands-on, engaging, and interactive to motivate reluctant students. You will find activities perfect for small-group interventions and others
that work well for whole-class instruction or individual support. And you will
find a CD filled with resources to ease your planning and preparation.
This book is a compilation of strategies and activities that are organized
to provide a solid math facts program; however, the individual activities and
strategies can be easily integrated into your existing math program to provide you with additional resources and varied instructional approaches. You
may read the book from start to finish or you may focus on specific sections
that address your needs. Consider your students and select the strategies and
activities to match their needs, interests, learning styles, and abilities.

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

How is this book organized?

Throughout the following chapters, a multitude of teaching strategies and
activities are shared to build students understanding and automaticity with
math facts. Each chapter is organized to develop essential understanding and
provide a menu of possible activities for instruction, practice, and assessment.
Following are highlights of the key elements in Chapters 2 through 8.

Making Connections and Focusing on the Big Ideas

Each chapter begins by connecting the new fact set to students previous
experiences and provides a brief review of big ideas that play a key role in
students understanding of the facts and students development of strategies
related to the facts.
Developing Understanding
Each chapter provides two introductory lessons that focus on developing conceptual understanding of the highlighted math facts. One lesson is a Literature Link, introducing the facts through a story context. The other lesson,
Exploring the Facts, provides a language-based and/or hands-on exploration
of the new set of facts. The activities in this book employ varied instructional
techniques, including the use of manipulatives, visuals, tables, literature, hundred charts, and discussions, ensuring that students experience addition and
subtraction facts in diverse ways and that each student will be likely to experience these facts in a way that makes sense to him.
In Supporting All Learners, you will find more ideas for those students
who may need additional or different types of experiences to develop understanding of the targeted facts. These activities might be done with the whole
class but may also be perfect for small teacher-led groups of students. For
some sets of facts, you may choose to use several of these activities; at other
times, your students may not need the additional exposure. These activities simply provide you with more and varied possibilities for developing
understanding.
Building Automaticity
This section focuses on building students fluency and is broken into two parts:
Targeted Practice and Monitoring Progress. In Targeted Practice, a variety of
activities are shared that provide practice for that specific set of math facts. Students will have fun rolling number cubes, spinning spinners, and pulling number cards from a deck as they engage in ongoing practice through interactive

Introduction

activities. It is through repeated and targeted practice that students gain fluency
with math facts. Templates for these activities can be found on the accompanying CD.
Along with repeated practice to gain fluency with math facts, students
need constant monitoring to ensure that they are progressing in their mastery
of facts. Monitoring Progress provides ideas for monitoring students progress toward automaticity including ideas for conducting frequent fact checks,
techniques for tracking students progress, and suggestions for varied ways to
monitor progress including student conferences, progress graphs, and individual goal setting.

Connecting to Subtraction
Addition facts are the primary emphasis throughout this book because of our
focus on building math fact fluency. When posed with a subtraction math fact,
the most efficient way to solve it is by knowing the related addition fact. When
the recall of addition facts is automatic and students understand the connection between addition and subtraction facts, their fluency with subtraction
facts naturally increases.
Lessons to develop students understanding of related subtraction facts
are included in each chapter. In addition, you will find suggestions throughout the book of activities to build subtraction fact fluency. To attain fluency
with subtraction facts, students need ongoing opportunities to practice the
facts and explore their connection to addition facts.

What is the teaching sequence of math

facts within this book?
The chapters of this book are organized based on strategies that support students understanding of addition and subtraction facts. These strategies allow
students to make sense of math facts and, therefore, support their mastery
of these facts. The strategies are based on big ideas about numbers and operations. The understanding of these big ideas helps students create effective
math strategies related to the facts and to ultimately commit those facts to
memory. This book is not simply a collection of activities; it is intended to
highlight big ideas that provide a perfect focus for math facts instruction,
to broaden your repertoire of instructional strategies, to provide you with
dozens of easy-to-implement activity ideas, and to stimulate your reflection

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

related to the teaching of math facts. In reviewing the organization of this

book, you may notice that the math facts appear in a sequence that focuses
on the complexity of the number concepts and carefully links each new set of
facts to previously explored facts, building upon students prior knowledge.
Rather than asking our students to memorize 121 combinations of addition facts and then 121 combinations of subtraction facts, this book focuses on
helping students understand groups of facts and then building on that understanding with additional sets of facts. Over time, our students are given a
strong foundation of number sense and number understanding.
Students begin by exploring facts that are one more and two more. These
+1/+2 facts are linked to their counting experiences, as they are able to count
on to find the sums. Exploring facts that are one less and two less allows students to investigate the addition/subtraction connection.
Once students have explored and begun to practice these facts, addition
with zero is presented. Although the +0 facts are actually easier for automaticity than +1/+2 facts, the concept of joining is a bit harder to understand
(What does it mean to add zero? Why do we add if we have nothing to add?).
These facts are better addressed after students have had multiple experiences
with +1/+2 facts and have developed the concept of addition.
Ten as an addend is explored next to allow students to develop automatic
recall of +10 facts (e.g., 10 + 2 = 12 or 4 + 10 = 14). This skill will be critical
later as students use +10 facts as a way of simplifying facts that are near 10
(e.g., 9 + 4 is simplified to 10 + 3).
Exploring doubles is addressed next. Through hands-on experiences, students explore the concept of doubling, find the sums of doubles, and begin to
practice these facts for fluency. The automatic recall of doubles facts provides
a foundation for more complex facts.
Next, students explore facts with a sum of 10. With 10 being central to our
number system, students need many opportunities to explore ways to combine numbers to form 10. Once these facts are mastered, students have developed a strong foundation on which to build mastery of other facts. If students
know that 8 + 2 = 10, they can use that understanding to find the sum of 8 +
4 or 8 + 5.
Once our students have explored +1, +2, +0, +10, doubles, and makingten facts, they have been exposed to the foundation facts. The remaining
unknown facts can be found by building on this foundation. At this point,
students have mastered 83 of the 121 addition facts. And they are armed with
an understanding of tens and doubles, which will help them with their still
unknown facts.

10

Introduction

Using tens is a strategy that assists our students with sums that are nearten facts. They have not yet explored 8 + 3 but their knowledge that 8 + 2 =
10 aids them. Its 11 because 3 is just 1 more than 2 and 8 + 2 = 10, so 8 + 3
= 11!
Next, our students explore more unknown facts using their doubles
knowledge. Their previous experiences with doubles facts support students
with more difficult facts like 6 + 7. I know 6 + 6 = 12, so 6 + 7 is just 1 more.
Its 13!
Through their known facts and their previously explored strategies, students now build mastery with the remaining facts. Although most of the basic
facts have been connected to a specific strategy, it is important that students
recognize the flexibility of these strategies, knowing that several strategies may
work for a given fact. This flexibility allows students to find the answers for
the two math facts that have not been specifically addressed (e.g., 5 + 3, 6 +
3). Although flexibility of strategies is addressed throughout the program, the
final pieces of the teaching sequence focus on different ways students might use
known facts to find an unknown fact. Discussions that show flexibility are critical to expanding students thinking about numbers and the many ways they
can be joined or separated. These students share their thoughts about finding
the sum of 5 + 3:
5 + 2 = 7 and its just 1 more, so 5 + 3 = 8.
If you double 3 its 6, and 5 is 2 more than 3, so 5 + 3 = 8.
7 + 3 = 10, so 5 + 3 = 8 because its 2 less than 10.

There is more than one way to think about joining numbers. These comments demonstrate students strategic reasoning and their enhanced understanding of numbers.
Connecting new facts to previously discussed number concepts allows students to continually build mastery of addition and subtraction basic facts. Figure 1 outlines a brief rationale for the sequence in which the facts are introduced
within this book. We recognize, however, that students and instructional programs differ and that teachers might choose, or be required, to introduce facts
in a different sequence. Although we believe that there is strong justification
for this sequence, we have carefully developed strategies and activities that
support instruction of math facts even if the order in which you present the
facts differs from the sequence described below.
The lessons and activities in this book focus on strengthening students
number concepts to support their mastery of basic math facts. Teachers who
have a deep understanding of big ideas related to numbers and the ways in

11

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Foundation Facts
+1/+2

Students build on their understanding of counting by exploring 1 or 2 more

and 1 or 2 less.

+0

Using their knowledge of the concept of addition, students explore what happens when they add or subtract nothing from a quantity.

+10

Adding 10 to a single-digit number results in a 2-digit sum. Students explore

adding 10 in order to build understanding and automaticity that will be needed
later when exploring the using-ten strategy.

Doubles

Students explore the concept of doubling and what it means to add 2 groups of
equal size.

Making
Ten

Because 10 is foundational in our number system, students explore the different

ways in which 2 addends result in a sum of 10. This knowledge becomes critical
as they later explore using tens to find unknown facts.

Building on the Foundation

Using
tens

Now that students know combinations of addends that have a sum of 10, they
use their understanding of the flexibility of numbers to find ways to break apart
addends to create simpler facts by using tens (e.g., 9 + 7 is changed to 10 + 6).

Using
doubles

Students knowledge of doubles facts is now put to use to find unknown facts
that are near-doubles (e.g., 4 + 5 might be thought of as 4 + 4 + 1).

Figure 1.

This suggested teaching sequence begins with simpler facts and then connects each new set
of facts to students previous experiences.
which those big ideas relate to the teaching of math facts, and who have developed a repertoire of instructional techniques and classroom activities to highlight those big ideas, are able to simplify the task of mastering basic math facts
for their students.

Why are activities and resources on a CD?

Along with the many easy-to-implement student activities described within
the book, you will find a teacher-friendly CD filled with customizable versions
of the activities. Because the CD materials are produced in a Microsoft Word
format, you can easily modify the activity pages to make them simpler or
more complex, personalize the tasks to insert your students names or names
of familiar places or events, and adapt the activities to work with any set of
math facts. On the CD, you will find the featured activities (described within
the book) for each set of facts as well as some additional activities, often modified from a featured activity for a different set of facts, to provide a multitude
of practice tasks from which you can choose. The CD also includes teacher

12

Introduction

tools (e.g., hundred charts, addition tables, assessments, and game templates)
to simplify your planning and reduce your preparation time.

Resource for Professional Learning

Communities
Effective teachers constantly reflect on their own teaching. They gather new
ideas, try them with students, reflect on their successes, and find ways to continually refine their teaching. At the conclusion of this book, questions are
posed to stimulate reflection about the key points within the chapters. These
guiding questions are designed for your personal reflection or for use in schoolbased study groups. Discussion about math facts instruction within our professional learning communities broadens our understanding and improves our
teaching.

Our Goal
The purpose of this book is to explore ways to support all students in mastering addition and subtraction facts. By focusing on big ideas, strengthening
students understanding of math operations, developing strategic thinking,
and providing varied and engaging practice tasks to promote fluency, our students will be better equipped to both understand math facts and commit the
facts to memory. Whether you are introducing students to basic facts, reviewing facts, or providing remediation for struggling students, this book provides
you with insights and activities to simplify this complex and vital component
of math teaching.

13

Chapter Five

Doubles
+

10

10

10

11

10

11

12

of math facts, this time focusing on doubles facts.

10

11

12

13

Because both addends are the same, there is no

10

11

12

13

14

10

11

12

13

14

15

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

e continue to add to our students repertoire

need to address the commutative property, so this

fact set is quite smalljust eleven doubles facts in

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

all. And because students have already explored

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

and practiced +0, +1, +2, and +10 facts, they

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

already know the sums for 0 + 0, 1 + 1, 2 + 2, and

10

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

UNKNOWN
FACTS

10 + 10, leaving only seven unknown doubles facts.

These facts are usually easy for students to recall

KNOWN
Doubles
FACTS

TARGETED
FACTS

and provide important links to future facts. Students

will later refer back to these facts to find the sums
of more complex near-doubles facts.

77

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Focusing on the Big Ideas

Exploring big ideas about mathematics provides the backdrop for our exploration of doubles facts. Some big ideas include the following.

Doubling is the process of joining two groups of the

same quantity.
The term doubling refers to the process of adding a quantity to itself. Doubling is joining two like groups. It is when both parts that make up a whole
are equal quantities.
Halving is the opposite of doubling.
Separating a set into two equal groups results in halves. By halving a set,
we can determine the quantity for the two equal parts that make the whole.
Separating half from a set will result in a difference that is the same as the
amount that was separated (i.e., in 12 6 = 6, 6 was separated from the set and
6 remain in the set).
Addition and subtraction are inverse operations.
If students know that doubling 5 results in 10, or 5 + 5 = 10, then they will
also know that halving 10 results in 5, or 10 5 = 5. Knowing a doubles fact
(addition) supports students in knowing halves (subtraction).
Key questions related to the big ideas for doubles are:
What does it mean to double an amount?
What does it mean to find half of an amount?
How are doubling and halving alike? How are they different?

Our goal is to continually reinforce the big ideas related to math facts as we
help students develop addition and subtraction strategies.

Understanding Doubles
Literature Link: Double the Ducks
In Double the Ducks (2003), Stuart J. Murphy tells the story of a boy with 5
ducks. When 5 duck friends follow them home, the boy must double everything as he cares for the 10 ducks.

78

Chapter Five
Doubles

Before Reading Ask students to brainstorm types of animals that live on

a farm. Ask them what kinds of things a farmer does to take care of the different animals. Ask students what it means to double something. Can they give
an example of a double? Read the title and ask students to predict what the
story might be about.
During Reading As you read each number in the story and what it rep-

resents, record the number and item on chart paper (e.g., 1 person, 2 hands,
3sacks of food, etc.). Pause after reading that each duck brought back a friend.
Ask students to predict what the farmer will need in order to take care of
10ducks. Continue reading to check their predictions.
After Reading After finishing the story, compare the predictions that stu-

dents made with the actual events of the story. Talk about what it means to
double by referring to the items on the chart paper as examples. Pose a few
related farm problems, having students turn and share the double with a partner. Keep the quantities small to assess students understanding of the concept of doubling rather than their computation skills.
His ducks love to eat bread. He needs 4 loaves of bread to feed his ducks.
How many loaves of bread will he need if we double the ducks? How do you
know?

Name: __________________________________________________________________

Double the Animals

Spin the spinner and write the number of each animal on the farm.
Double the animals.
Write a number sentence and draw a picture to show how many.
Total when DOUBLED
(number sentence and picture)

Animals

His pigs are very muddy. He uses 3 bars of soap to bathe them. How many

____cows

bars of soap will he use if we double the pigs? How do you know?

____pigs

____goats

His horses love to eat sugar cubes. He needs 5 bags of sugar cubes for
his horses. How many bags of sugar cubes will he need if we double the
horses? How do you know?

Once you are confident that students understand the concept of doubling,
begin a task to explore doubles with addends of 610. Give students a Double
the Animals recording sheet (see CD) and a set of 20 counters to represent animals. Students will work with partners to find the doubles sum for a set of
cows, pigs, goats, and horses. Have partners work together, with one partner
spinning a 610 spinner (see CD) to see how many cows are on the farm, and
the other partner placing counters in a row to represent that number of cows.
Partners then double the cows by creating a similar row to show the doubles
set. Partners find the total number of cows, the sum, and record the addition number sentence on their recording sheets. Have partners switch roles

____horses

Write another animal that could be on a farm. Spin the spinner to see how many there
are. Tell how many there would be if we doubled them.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

610 Spinners

10

6
8

10

10

6
8

10

8
9

79

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

and spin again, finding the number of pigs and the double for that number of
pigs. As they work together to double all of the animals, observe how they
are finding the sums. Do they know what it means to double? Are they counting all of the counters? Are they using any strategies? Do they have automatic
recall of any doubles facts? Make a note of students who already have recall of
some doubles facts. For the next lesson, those students might be transitioned
to some of the doubles practice tasks, and those who were noted to be struggling with the concept might be asked to join you for additional explorations
and discussions of the doubling process.
Once pairs have determined doubles for their animals, have them share
some of their doubles facts, recording the number sentences on the board to
provide a check for accuracy of the 610 doubles facts.
Finally, have students respond to the following prompt, as in Figure 5.1,
in their math journals.
What does it mean to double a number?

If students have a difficult time explaining their understanding of doubles in

words, remind them that they can draw pictures or give examples to show
Figure 5.1

80

This student shares her understanding of doubling.

Chapter Five
Doubles

their thinking. Sharing their writing with a partner, or presenting it during

circle time, is an effective way to summarize the doubling concept.

Exploring the Facts: Creating Equal Sets

Visualizing the doubling process helps students better understand its connection to an addition equation. When considering the part-part-whole concept,
both parts are of equal size. Model equal sets for students by creating sets on
an overhead projector, document camera, or SMART Board. Lining objects in
two equal rows helps students quickly see that sets are equal.
Pose some doubles problems.
4 orange fish were in the fish bowl. 4 black fish were in the fish bowl. How
many fish were in the fish bowl?
6 boys were at the park. 6 girls were at the park. How many children were
at the park?
Bailey had 7 flower stickers. She had 7 bunny stickers. How many stickers
did she have?
Liam had 6 red cars and 6 blue cars. How many cars did he have?
Colin had 9 soccer balls. He had 9 baseballs. How many balls did he have?

Allow students to use manipulatives to create the two equal-sized groups. A

part-part-whole mat (see CD) provides a great template for this exploration.
Students place a group of manipulatives in the top left section, then create an
equal-sized group in the top right section. Pause to ask students about the two
groups. Are they the same size? Have them record an addition equation to
show the two parts, and then pull the two parts together to make one whole
group. Have them find and record the sum. Continue to pose problems as you
observe students at work.

Tip

The use of motion,

pulling groups

together, provides an important

visualization of the concept of
joining, or finding a total or whole
set. An overhead projector or

Part-Part-Whole Mat
Part

Part

document camera allows us to

physically move sets together,
as do many SMART Boards.

Whole

Magnetic graphics or student

actors can also be joined to
demonstrate the action of
addition.

81

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Supporting All Learners

The following classroom activities provide you with additional lesson ideas
for the whole class or for small teacher-led groups with students who might
need to explore doubles in a different way.
Act Out Doubles Pose doubles problems for students to act out. You might

have 4 students put their hands on their heads and then double the number of
students putting their hands on their heads. You might have 6 students jump
up and down and then double the number jumping up and down. Have fun
doubling the students and recording the addition number sentences to represent the doubles.
Roll and Double It Provide students with 20 counters. Roll a 16 num-

ber cube and ask students to make a row with that number of counters. Ask
them to double it by making another row of the same size. Have them count
to find the sum. Record the addition number sentence. Roll another number
and repeat the process.
Ask students how they will know they are doubling when they see an
addition number sentence. Do they notice that both addends in the number
sentence are the same? Do they understand that means the size of each group
is the same? Ask questions to guide students in observing the connection
between the numbers in the equation (the same numbers) and the number of
counters in each group (the same size groups).
Name: __________________________________________________________________

Doubles for Ducks

1. Look at the list of things from the story.
2. Double each one.
3. Write a number sentence and draw a picture to show how many.

Things

Total when DOUBLED

(number sentence and picture)

1 farmer

2 hands

3 sacks of food

4 bundles of
hay

Revisit Double the Ducks For struggling students, it may be helpful to

reread Double the Ducks and allow them to use manipulatives to double each
item in the story. Students can use the Doubles for Ducks recording sheet (see
CD) to show their work. Watch them as they work, asking questions to guide
their thinking and assess their understanding. After completing the story
items, brainstorm other farm items and have them select a few and find the
doubles.

5 ducks

On the back, write three other things that could be on a farm and then tell how
many there would be if we doubled them.

Magical Doubles Share this doubles story to engage students in solving

and writing doubles problems.

82

Chapter Five
Doubles

Mork was a famous magician. Children loved to see his magic shows. Mork
made a penny disappear and then reappear behind someones ear. Amazing! He cut a scarf in half and with a wave of his wand made it a whole
scarf again. Unbelievable! But most of all, children loved when Mork took
out his magic hat. Mork put 1 cuddly bunny into his hat, waved his wand
and chanted: Magic hat, dont give me trouble. These children want to see
a double! He reached into the hat and pulled out 2 cuddly bunnies! The
children cheered and shouted for more. Mork reached into his pocket and
pulled out 2 shiny quarters, put them into his hat, waved his magic wand,
and chanted: Magic hat, dont give me trouble. These children want to see
a double! He reached into his hat and pulled out 4 shiny quarters!

Ask students to turn and tell a partner what Mork pulled out of his magic hat
when he put these items into it:
3 purple purses
4 red balls
5 salty pretzels
6 juicy grapes
7 silver spoons
8 spotted owls
9 rotten potatoes
10 gray mice

Allow students to use beans or counters to explore the sums, if needed. Record
each doubles number sentence on the board.
Have students talk with partners to decide on something else to put in
Morks hat. Go around the room to have pairs tell you what Mork put in and
what he took out.
Class Doubles Book As a class, make a list of things that come in 1, 2,

3, 4, and so on (i.e., 1 trunk on an elephant, 2 horns on a bull, 3 lights on a

traffic light, 4 legs on a table, 5 fingers on a hand, etc.). Have students pick an
item from the list and figure out how many there would be if the items were
doubled. Have each student draw a picture and write a number sentence for a
class doubles book (see Figure 5.2).
Holey Doubles Give each student a piece of paper and have them fold it in

half. Students pick a 110 number card (see CD) and, with the paper folded,

83

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Figure 5.2

This page for the class doubles book describes the legs on 2 horses.

use a handheld paper punch to punch that number of holes in their paper. Students then open the folded paper to reveal double the holes. Students record
the doubles number sentence on their paper and write a doubles story about
their holes (i.e., There were 5 spiders and 5 more crawled in. How many
were there?). Students can get creative and decorate around the holes to
make them look like flowers or spiders or lollipops or suns. The doubles art
can be posted on a bulletin board to display a variety of doubles equations as
in Figure 5.3.

84

Chapter Five
Doubles

Figure 5.3

Four holes are punched on the outside of the folded paper to reveal
double the holes when the paper is opened. Students can decorate the holes to look
like spiders and add a doubles number sentence.

4+4=8

Building Automaticity
Targeted Practice
Individualized Fact Card Practice Referring to each students Fact

Check will allow you to select specific fact cards that meet her needs. Are
there specific doubles facts that this student struggles to recall? Practice with
targeted facts allows for more repetition of those facts and narrows the scope
of the task for each student. Students can be given the job of finding their
focus facts in their deck of fact cards before beginning a focused fact card
practice.
A Fact Card Menu Fact cards (see CD) can be a source of activities that

students do independently at school or at home. The following activities alleviate the stress that is sometimes associated with fact cards as they emphasize
knowledge of the answer rather than speed. Suggest one of the following for
students who need additional practice with the facts.
Pick a card and draw a picture to show the fact.

Doubles Fact CardsAddition

0
1
2
3
+0 +1 +2 +3
4
5
6
7
+4 +5 +6 +7
8
9 10
+ 8 + 9 +10

Pick an addition fact card and write a subtraction fact that goes with it.
Pick a card and write the fact three times.
Pick a card and write a story problem for the fact.
Pick a card and show the fact on a number line. Record the number sentence by the number line.

85

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

The Teachers Role During Game Time While students play games, you
might either observe their play or capitalize on your opportunity to work with a
small group of students. Watching students as they play games allows you to
gain insights about their fluency with math facts. You will quickly identify those
who have mastered facts and those who need additional support.
Although those observations are extremely helpful, it might also be beneficial to take the opportunity to address the needs of specific students. As most
students are developing their rapid recall of facts through the games, you might
conduct small-group assessments, lead intervention groups, or conduct individual interviews. Think about both assessment and instruction as you balance
opportunities to observe students at play and support students individually or
in small groups.

Ten-Frame Cards

Double Ten-Frames Provide each pair with two sets of ten-frame cards

(see CD) containing frames with 010 dots. Have students work with partners
to find doubles (i.e., locate the frames with 6 dots on each frame), find the
sums, and record the number sentences.
I Spy Doubles Have students search for double dominoes, dominoes with

Directions:
Cut out ten-frame cards
on bold lines to create
eleven cards representing 010.

the same number of dots on each side, and write matching addition equations
(see Figure 5.4). See the CD for domino templates.
Figure 5.4

Domino Cards

86

These students search for double dominoes.

Chapter Five
Doubles

Figure 5.5

Tossing beanbags at a number chart on the floor, and doubling the

number the bag lands on, incorporates movement into math facts practice.

Beanbag Addition Create a floor mat with a white shower curtain

Squares

liner or large poster board, marking nine sections, each containing a

number from 19 (see Figure 5.5). Students take turns tossing a beanbag
and calling out the number it lands on and the double. Students record
their double equations.

20

12

14

16

10

18

20

14

16

10

14

12

20

18

16

12

10

12

14

10

18

Directions:
1. The player who spins
the highest number
goes first.
2. Players take turns
spinning the spinner
and adding.
3. They find a space on
the board with that
sum and place their
marker on it.
4. The first player to
make a square (see
below) wins.

12

14

Squares The goal of Squares is to be the first player to have markers

on four numbers that form a square on the game board. Students play
with partners. Each pair needs a Squares spinner and game board (see
CD) along with game markers (e.g., beans or counters). Players take turns
spinning, finding the sum, and placing their marker on the board. The
first player to have four markers arranged to form a square is the winner. For a noncompetitive option, have partners work together to spin,
add, and cover doubles sums, talking together about where to place each
marker as they try to form a square. When a square is formed, students
clear the board and start again.

Squares Spinner

1+1

2+2

10 + 10

3+3

4+4

9+9

8+8

5+5
7+7

6+6

Doubles Memory In Doubles Memory, students

try to match a doubles fact card (5 + 5) with the correct sum (10). Students work in pairs and spread the
cards (see CD) facedown on a desk, table, or floor.
Each player takes turns choosing two cards. If the
cards go together (the doubles fact and the sum),
the player keeps the cards and gets another turn. If
the cards do not match, the player returns them to
the same spot on the desk, facedown, and his turn
is over. The player with the most cards at the end of
the game is the winner.

Doubles Memory Cards

0
+0

1
+1

2
+2

3
+3

4
+4

5
+5

8 10

6
+6

7
+7

8
+8

9
+9

10
+10

12 14 16
18 20

87

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Monitoring Progress
Individual Teacher-Guided Fact Checks Individual student assess-

ment might be indicated for students who have extreme difficulty with the
cumulative Fact Checks. Using a set of fact cards, assess the childs fluency
verbally, beginning with simpler facts and then moving to those that are causing difficulty. As a child misses, set the card aside. When a child misses five
facts, stop and set a goal for those facts. Give the missed fact cards to the
student, discuss any strategies that might help them better remember those
facts, and determine a time frame for when you will recheck for mastery of
the facts.

Tip

Many students have

difficulty with timed

tests. Teacher-administered
oral fact checks provide a clear
picture of fact mastery.

Connecting to Subtraction
As students develop an understanding of doubles facts, take every opportunity
to talk about the connection between addition and subtraction facts. Discussing halves will demonstrate the inverse of doubles and show what happens
when one half is separated from the otherthe same amount always remains.
The two addends in a doubles number sentence can be thought of as halves.
Thinking halves simplifies finding the difference for doubles subtraction.

Literature Link: Martha Blah Blah

In Martha Blah Blah (1996) by Susan Meddaugh, a dog gains the ability to speak
when eating alphabet soup but encounters problems when half of the letters
are removed from the soup.
Before Reading Have students turn and tell a partner what they think

dogs might say if they could speak. Share a few of their ideas. Tell students
you will be reading a story about a dog who speaks. Before you begin reading, have students recite the alphabet as you record the letters on chart paper
or the board. Count the total number of letters in the alphabet and record 26
on the board.
During Reading After reading that Granny Flo removed half of the let-

ters, pause to identify and cross off the letters she removed. Ask students to
predict if she removed more than, less than, or about half of the letters.
After Reading Ask students if the 13 letters removed were half of the

alphabet. Give partners 26 counters to represent the letters. Have students

explain how they know that 13 is half of 26.

88

Chapter Five
Doubles

Prepare bowls of cereal letters, or magnetic letters, to represent bowls of

alphabet soup. Have bowls with the following amounts of letters: 2, 4, 6, 8,
10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. The actual letters in each bowl do not matter, just
the quantity of letters in the bowls. Have students work in pairs or groups to
count the letters in their bowls and then remove half of the letters like Granny
Flo did. Students must find out how many letters are left in their bowls and
record the subtraction number sentence on the Letters in Our Soup recording
sheet (see CD) as in Figure 5.6. As students finish, have them switch bowls
with another group and do it several more times.
After students have worked with several bowls of soup, have students
share, as you record, the different number sentences for half of the letters.
Once you have completed the subtraction number sentences, write associated
doubles addition sentences next to the subtraction sentences. Ask students to
describe how the addition and subtraction sentences are the same and how
they are different. Their comments will likely include:
They have the same numbers in them, but in different places.
They all have 2 numbers that are the same and 1 that is different.
If you take a half away, you get the other half.

Figure 5.6

This student explores subtraction by removing half of the letters from

his soup.

89

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Or students might use the Are Doubles and Halves the Same? recording sheet on
the CD to explore the similarities and differences between addition and subtraction doubles facts as in Figure 5.7.

Halves Race

Practicing for Fluency

Halves Race In Halves Race, students spin and subtract in order to move

along the game board. Each pair need one Halves Race game board, a doubles
subtraction spinner (see CD), and game markers. Students take turns spinning, finding the difference, and moving to the next space containing that difference on the board. The first player to the finish wins.

Halves Race
Take turns spinning and subtracting.
Move your marker to the next matching
difference.

20 10

The first player to get to the final 4 wins.

18 9

21

16 8

42

14 7

63

12 6
84

90

10 5

Figure 5.7

Students gain insights when they are asked to observe math facts.

Chapter Five
Doubles

Halves Memory In Halves Memory, students try to match a doubles sub-

Halves Memory Cards

traction fact card (10 5) with the correct difference (5). Students work in pairs
and spread the cards (see CD) facedown on a desk, table, or floor. Each player
takes turns choosing two cards. If the cards go together (the subtraction fact
and the difference), the player keeps the cards and gets another turn. If the
cards do not match, the player returns them to the same spot on the desk,
facedown, and her turn is over. The player with the most cards at the end of
the game is the winner.

0
0

2
1

4
2

6
3

8
4

10
5

12
6

14
7

16
8

18
9

20
10

Which Sign? Which Sign? provides a review of doubles addition and sub-

traction facts and builds foundational algebra skills as students explore building equations. Partners work to complete the Which Sign? recording sheet (see
CD), deciding if an addition or subtraction sign would make the equation
true (i.e., Would + or complete the number sentences 6 6 = 12 or 16 8
= 8?). Rather than making copies of the worksheet for each student, consider
putting it in a plastic sleeve and placing it at a center. Students then copy each
equation on a blank paper, inserting the sign they choose. Asking students to
write about how they made their decision gives insight into their thinking.
How did they know where to place an addition sign or subtraction sign?

Halves Memory Cards

9 10
Name: __________________________________________________________________

Which Sign?
Which sign makes each number sentence true?
Place + or where it belongs.

14

7=7

10

5=5

3=6

4=8

5 = 10

6 = 12

12

6=6

7 = 14

18

9=9

16

8=8

8 = 16

10

2=2

10 = 20
9 = 18

How did you know when to use an addition sign?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

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STUDY GUIDE

Learning is inherently social. As teachers, it is easy to feel isolated. It becomes

especially important that we find opportunities to talk with colleagues and
reflect on our teaching practices. Through professional learning communities, we hear new ideas, consider new techniques, clarify our thinking,
and ultimately enhance our teaching. It is through conversations with colleagues that we grow as teachers. Teacher study groups value the experience
and knowledge of teachers. They provide a forum for rich discussions about
teaching and learning. They motivate us to try new approaches and assess
our own practices.
Although there are many ways to structure a study group, it is most
important to foster a climate in which teachers feel free and safe to participate in the ongoing conversations and exchange of ideas. These study groups
should be designed with your teachers in mind. They should focus on the
needs of your students and fit the culture of your school. Whether you meet
once a week or less often; whether you focus your meetings on a professional
book, student work samples, video clips, or a critical questionmake the leap
into conversation. Here are a few tips to consider as you plan for implementing a study group.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Professional Learning Communities

Study Guide

Consider Group Size Small groups are ideal for study groups, but full-

faculty study groups are doable if small-group breakout sessions are an integral part of your planning. You may want to kick off discussion with a general
question and then break into smaller groups. Often the optimal number is
four to six teachers to ensure there is time for all to exchange ideas. The larger
group can reassemble at the end of the session to debrief.
Use Study Questions Starting with a few questions can jump-start your

discussions. There are various ways to use questions.

Put three or four questions in an envelope and randomly pull them out
for discussion.
Create a chart with two or three starter questions and ask the group to
generate more, tapping their own interests and needs.

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Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Create a list of three or four questions and have teachers prioritize the
questions based on the needs of their students.
Decide on three or four questions and divide the group by interest in
the various topics. This allows for a more in-depth study.
Make copies of the suggested questions for everyone and invite discussion without deciding where to start.
Create an Agenda Make sure you have planned a beginning and ending

time and always honor those times. Teachers are busy and knowing there will
be a time to start and a time to end is important. Send the agenda to participants prior to the meeting to remind them of the topics to be discussed, as
well as any reading to be completed.
Stay Focused on the Topic State the topic and goals of the session at the

start. Plan a procedure that is transparent. You might start by saying something like Lets decide on a signal to use when we feel the discussion is drifting and then have everyone agree to help stay focused.
Create a List of Norms Simple expectations that are determined by the

group often make study groups function with greater ease and increase potential for success. These can be simple and might include ways to invite a tentative member into the conversation, expectations about listening and sharing,
start and stop times, and a procedure for refocusing.
Make It Personal Make the learning personal for each participant. You

might begin each session with teachers turning to a colleague and sharing a
quote or teaching idea that resonated with them.
Share Leadership Rotate group facilitation. Identify several duties for

the facilitator. Examples might include identifying a question to stimulate

discussion, suggesting a big idea from a chapter or group of chapters, posing
reflective questions (e.g., Why do you think the authors kept emphasizing
that point?), and summarizing at the end of the session. Remember that in a
study group, everyone is a learner. This isnt the place for an expert!
Include Everyone Keep groups small enough so that even the quiet-

est member is encouraged to speak. Active listening on everyones part will

help. Remember that periods of silence should be expected when people are
thinking.

148

Encourage Implementation Decide on an activity or teaching tech-

Engage in Reflection Stop from time to time to reect on what you are

learning and how you might make your groups interactions more productive.
Make sure you take time to enjoy one another and celebrate your learning.
Set Dates for the Next Meeting Always leave knowing when you will

meet again, who will facilitate, and what the general focus will be for the
upcoming session.
The following questions relate to the content in each chapter. These are
suggestions. Many more concepts and ideas are presented in each chapter.
Enjoy!

Introduction
1. Why is mastery of math facts important? What problems have you
observed when students do not know basic math facts?

STUDY GUIDE

Guiding Questions

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

nique that participants will try with students between sessions. Having tried
some of the ideas allows teachers to bring insights to the next meeting and
ensures that the study group goes beyond talk and into action.

2. In what ways would a strong understanding of numbers support stu-

dents as they focus on math facts?

3. What have you observed about anxiety related to memorizing math

facts? Are there types of math fact practice activities that increase anxiety or decrease anxiety?
4. What types of activities might motivate students to practice math

facts?
5. How might attention to the sequence in which facts are introduced

support mastery of the facts?

Chapter One: Understanding Addition and Subtraction

1. Why is it important for students to understand the concepts of addition and subtraction?
2. What problems might occur if students are asked to memorize math

facts too soon?

149

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

3. What types of models might be used to help students visualize addi-

tion and subtraction? Why might using a variety of models be helpful

for students?
4. What real-world experiences might create an effective context for

addition or subtraction problems?

Chapter Two: Plus One, Plus Two

1. What prior knowledge will help students better understand +1/+2
and 1/2?
2. What tools or models help students visualize +1, +2 and 1, 2?
3. Why does it make sense to address 1 and 2 shortly after +1 and +2?

What misunderstandings could occur? How will you address them?

4. Reflect on the importance of students understanding of the commu-

tative property. In what ways will it support their success?

Chapter Three: Adding Zero

1. Why might addition and subtraction with zero be confusing for some
students?
2. What might you do to clarify the concepts of addition and subtraction

with zero?
3. In what ways does the integration of childrens literature enhance

math facts lessons?

4. What rules will you establish for managing math fact games within

your classroom?

Chapter Four: Adding Ten

1. Why is adding ten an important foundational skill?
2. In what ways might tens facts be challenging for students?
3. How will you help students recognize their successes?
4. What visual tools might help students better understand +10 facts?
5. Why are so many of the activities within the book focused on part-

ner discussions? What are the benefits? What might you consider to
ensure success with partner tasks?

150

2. In what ways will visual experiences help simplify doubles facts?

What tools provide effective visuals of doubles?

3. Why is it important for students to explain their thinking as you

explore sets of math facts?

4. How might using the terms double and half support or confuse stu-

dents? What might you do to help them understand the terms?

5. What are the benefits of modifying familiar math fact games for dif-

ferent sets of facts?

6. How might you differentiate tasks for different levels of learners?

Chapter Six: Making Ten

1. Why is it important to allow students time to explore tens?
facts?
3. What games and practice activities might support automaticity?
4. Why is this a good time to work on fluency of the already explored

STUDY GUIDE

2. How will a deep understanding of tens support students with other

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Chapter Five: Doubles

1. How might you assess fluency for students who struggle with written
Fact Checks?

facts?
5. How can you ensure that your students will get repeated practice

with math facts?

Chapter Seven: Using Tens

1. How will students understanding of tens support them with more
difficult facts?
2. Which activities would be good choices for math fact centers? Why?
3. What management considerations are important when setting up

math facts centers?

4. How will you provide repeated practice for students who have still

not mastered past fact sets?

5. What planning considerations will make a Family Math Fact Night

most effective?
6. What is the role of language in developing math fact strategies?

151

Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction

Chapter Eight: Using Doubles

1. How will students understanding of doubles support them with more
difficult facts?
2. Give examples of some addition or subtraction math facts for which

students might use different strategies. Explain how each strategy

makes sense for the fact. Is one more efficient than the other?
3. Beyond supporting mastery of math facts, what are the advantages of

focusing on number strategies?

4. When are students transitioned from activities to build understanding

to practice for fluency? What understandings must occur prior to fluency practice? Why?
5. How might home practice of math facts be beneficial for students? Are

there any drawbacks? What can you do to promote effective home

practice activities?

Conclusion
1. What are the most significant ways in which we should rethink the
teaching of math facts?
2. The authors contend that automaticity takes time. How do some pro-

grams rush students as they learn math facts? How can we ensure
that enough time is allowed for students to master facts?
3. Reflect on the teaching sequence of math facts within the book. In

what ways might this sequence benefit students versus the more traditional sequence of +0, +1, +2, +3, +4, and so on?
4. The authors suggest that effective math fact teaching cultivates

reflective students who have a greater understanding of numbers and

a flexibility of thinking that allows them to understand connections
between mathematical ideas. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
5. What tips would you give to a beginning teacher who is deciding how

to approach the teaching of math facts?

152

Bureau of Education and Research. 2009. Increasing Your Students Mastery of

Addition and Subtraction Math Facts. Bellevue, WA: Bureau of Education
and Research.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Additional Study Group Resource

Viewing short video clips of teachers and students in real classroom situations
generates discussion, conveys new instructional approaches, and promotes
reflection about teaching and learning. For authentic video clips related to
math fact teaching, try the following resource:

STUDY GUIDE

153