A quick, free math tutoring video explaining why “fact families” are an inefficient and confusing way to help children memorize and understand addition and subtraction facts. Number bonds, or the whole/parts method, is much more understandable and easy to remember.
I remember feeling overwhelmed in elementary school by fact families. It seemed like so much to remember! I was seeing them as lots of separate pieces of information. Number bonds would have made it so much easier!
Symbols are very abstract and can be confusing to children. Pictures are much more easily stored in our minds. Take advantage of this knowledge by using Cuisenaire Rods to help teach addition and subtraction.
The game idea in this free math tutoring video comes from MugginsMath.com. I made my own board, but the wood boards they sell are very nice quality!
It’s a great game for kids in Preschool or Kindergarten who are first learning addition and subtraction, or for kids who are further along to practice number manipulation and problem solving. It can also be played as a solitaire game, if desired!
Adding Cuisenaire Rods to the game makes it more suitable for visual and kinesthetic learners as well as those who struggle with dyscalculia.
This free math tutoring video shows more ways to play “What’s in the Box?” Missing addends, subtraction, lots of fun stuff here utilizing the Cuisenaire Rods! Be sure to watch my videos “Teaching Addition and Subtraction with Cuisenaire Rods” and “The Three Meanings of Subtraction” to get the full picture of what is happening here. It is very important to understand the concept of whole/parts (or number bonds) in order to decode word problems. This is where you start.
