Should we move on to Subtraction?

[Xuzi]

I'm at a mental roadblock on what to do for my 1st grader. We've been doing MUS Alpha, and she's done *great* at getting the math facts for the smaller numbers, where the totals aren't above 10, but she struggles a bit with the higher numbers, like 7+8, where the answer is higher than 10. She doesn't need a whole lot of help, typically I just reminder her that "the 8 wants to be a 10" and then she can do the mental math of taking 2 from 7 and so on, but then we have days like today where she *really* struggled to figure out 7+7 and 9+5 (which I've seen her answer with much less drama in the past). It seems like, from reading the TM and watching the DVD, that you're encouraged NOT to move onto subtraction until your child can spout out the answers to those questions without having to sit and think about it for several minutes. Sometimes DD can do that, and othertimes she needs her hand held (sort of) to get through them.

 

But she seems to already be doing mental subtraction in her head. Like I said above, she can do the mental math of "taking" from one number to make the other number 10, and then add the new, smaller number to 10 to get her answer. It seems like she's *really* read for subtraction, but I guess I'm not sure about how she might deal with going into a new skill like subtraction where she'll soon encounter some of her other, rustier skills. (am I making sense here?? :tongue_smilie:)

 

Of course I plan to continue working with her on her addition facts, but can I do that at the same time as moving onto Subtraction? Or is it likely to only increase the Math Facts drama?

 

(and as an FYI, we've also been using Math Mammoth, but she's already done the 1st grade addition pages)

[boscopup]

She sounds more than ready for subtraction to me, but I don't use MUS, so I don't know their reasoning for not moving on.

 

I use MM (light blue series), and subtraction was the second chapter. I know my son would have balked at doing just addition for a whole year. He wants to do multiplication as it is (already does it in his head).

 

I think in MM, the making 10 thing is introduced in 1B, during the double digit addition/subtraction section (chapter 7 of 8 total chapters for the year). Prior to that, they let the child use a number line for things like 8+7.

[snickelfritz]

I moved on. Dd is taking for----ever to get her facts down. I did clocks. Then money. Still working on facts. Then subtraction. Still working on facts. We are now in 2-digit addition/ subtraction. Still working on facts. I've decided to keep going and to keep working on facts. I offered the use of the abacus, but she doesn't want it. I saw someone say they had them fill out a fact page each day to use. I may do that. Right now, she is just slow. Very slow. Uses her fingers some.

 

BUT-- she gets the math of it. She understand the mechanics of adding/ subtraction. She understands place value. And too much time on facts frustrates her. So, we do facts for a bit every day and then move on.

Edited January 11, 2011 by snickelfritz