Hands-On!

As students develop an understanding of numbers, there is ultimately a shift in the ability to do more mental math.  To deepen this understanding, students often use manipulatives to make problem solving more concrete.  Eventually they are able to abandon most manipulatives and use mental strategies instead.  

The goal:  To understand how an addition fact is related to a subtraction fact.  We call these RELATED FACTS!  Addition facts are 2 smaller parts that put together (in different ways) make a bigger whole or sum. If I take that same whole, I can take one part away and know how many are left.  3+2=5 so 5-2=3

These students are finding ways (parts) to make a sum (whole)!