Memorizing number bonds (singapore 1A/1B)

[kama]

My daughter is having a lot of trouble memorizing the number bonds for numbers under 10, she can recall some, all for under 5 but she has trouble with any higher than that. She is seven years old, does anyone have any advice for activities that helped their kids memorize the number bonds? We are about to move in to 1B and I really want her to have the number bonds memorized before we move on. She struggled greatly with unit 6, we finally just had to move on because we were not making any progress and she was getting frustrated and bored. Does anyone have favorite techniques they used for memorizing the number bonds?

[Element]

We made "bracelets" out of pipe cleaners for each number, like this. (Not my blog, btw.)

[jennynd]

We play card game. Gold fish. Instead trying to get identical number, you try to get the number that make 10 with the card you have. My younger one loved it and she had the 10 down before got bored with the game.

[boscopup]

Are you letting her use manipulatives of some sort during math time? My son finished 1A this week, and he used C-rods whenever he needed them. As he used the facts more, he needed the rods less and less, and now he knows most of them. He might have to think about some, but he basically knows them. I also sometimes did some Ray's Arithmetic (free on Google books) as some extra oral practice. It's all word problems, which he likes.

 

Of course, some kids have a really hard time memorizing facts, yet they understand concepts easily. Usually it's suggested to move on, but continue to practice the facts via games, etc.

[kama]

I offer her C-rods but she doesn't really use them, mostly she counts on her fingers, she went to a public kindergarten and the habit of finger counting was firmly ingrained by the time we started at home :( I think that is a big part of why this is so difficult for her.

[Tress]

We practice it with raisins :D. I show her a certain amount of raisins, say 6. Then I hide them in my hands and show one hand, say 4. She has to tell what is in the other hand: 2. If she is right, she can eat the raisins. Number bonds ars called 'raisin sums' in our house :). You could of course do this with m&m's or some other candy.

[alisoncooks]

Oooh, I like those number bond bracelets! I feel a project coming on!

 

For our 10 bonds, we did the 10-facts rainbow, just for fun, and drew a unicorn on top (because everything needs a unicorn). Looks like this:

http://freemathworksheets.classroomprofessor.com/addition-rainbow-facts/

Then DD used it as a reference when needed.

 

We also did a lot of the games in the HIG. Those were really helpful and most use number cards or manipulatives to reinforce number bonds/facts under 10.

[Laura Corin]

We used activities from The School Bell. They worked really well.

 

Laura

[pitterpatter]

When she counts on her fingers, is she at least doing it the Singapore way? For example, if the problem is 5 + 3, does she see (or say the five in her head) and then hold up three fingers and say 6, 7, 8 aloud using the "counting on" method? Or, if the problem is 9 - 3, is she actually counting backwards instead of holding up nine fingers and then putting down three and counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 when it should be 8, 7, 6 as she puts them down? I would worry more about using her fingers correctly instead of the fact she is using her fingers. Then, at some point, maybe offer her some counters to use instead of her fingers. Then, slowly wean her off the counters. Have her do so many problems with and so many without.

 

Here's what I've found. Even though DD "memorized" and could compute number bonds lickety-split when that's all we were doing, as the problems got more complex, she got bogged down by all of the different methods of adding and subtracting numbers through 20. Her brain got so involved in the methods that it didn't always recognize that she had memorized and knew 2 + 3 or whatever. So, the more important thing is that she could count on, count up, count backwards correctly and quickly. Also, really knowing doubles and being able to recognized near doubles is quite handy.

 

I would make sure your DD knows how and when to count on, count up, count backwards without having to think much about it. That will help more than anything. Also, before starting a new lesson each day, I have DD work one problem of each type to keep it fresh in her mind...so one addition that requires making a ten, one subtraction that requires taking a ten out, one subtraction that requires using a ten and taking out the other number, one addition double, one subtraction double, one near double, etc.

 

For what it's worth, it took us a couple of months to get down all of the different methods of adding and subtracting numbers through 20 instead of the couple of days/weeks that is scheduled in Singapore. We just plugged away one method at a time until it became second nature. I'm so proud of DD. We rushed through this the first time (because we were trying to follow the Singapore schedule) and what resulted was a jumbled mess in her brain. We came back to it and really took our time. She's got it now. I was amazed because it wasn't really as difficult as I thought. She was capable...it just took time and patience. I'm not sure I would go on with 1B without knowing how to do everything in 1A.

 

 

I offer her C-rods but she doesn't really use them, mostly she counts on her fingers, she went to a public kindergarten and the habit of finger counting was firmly ingrained by the time we started at home :( I think that is a big part of why this is so difficult for her.

[pitterpatter]

Making a counting rope might interest you as well.

 

[cagirlintexas]

We have loved the right start games for this. The thing that is helping DS is practice, practice, practice and the only way to get him to do lots practice is by making it into a game. You might just try some simple card games.

[Julie Smith]

We played a game called "Battle Arena".

 

I have been working on writing a cute teddy math book, I posted the current draft in another thread. You can download the book (It's a PDF) and take a look at Chapter 10.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/449728-an-elementary-read-aloud-math-book-first-3-chapters-free/

[JenniferLynn]

My DD6 (now starting 2B), also took longer with the math facts. We approached it from two directions - understanding the number bond relationships, and getting automaticity with the facts. We found that keeping going helped reinforce the math facts, and on the side we continued to practice with number bond flashcards, Timez Attacks online game, Sum Swamp, and Go to the Dump card game variations. The combination of continuous drill while moving on to other concepts (regrouping, double digit, etc.) worked fine.

[letsplaymath]

The only things I have them memorize at this stage are the doubles and the pairs that make 10. Everything else we just "work it out" over and over. Eventually, most of the facts stick for most children, but the ability to figure it out when one forgets is super-important, so that's what I want them to practice.

 

I don't believe the human mind is made for remembering numbers. It doesn't tend to do a good job at it, unless we're talking about a savant, and none of my kids have been savants. The more numbers we try to stuff into memory, the more likely the mental circuits are to get crossed and the wrong answer come back out. I prefer to limit our reliance on memory as much as I can, and instead rely on logic and reasoning, such as the counting techniques pitterpatter mentioned above.

[mhaddon]

While in a perfect world non of my children would count using fingers, but if it did happen I wouldn't be too upset. I made it through calculus and still use my fingers to do some basic math problems :)

[twoxcell]

For our 10 bonds, we did the 10-facts rainbow, just for fun, and drew a unicorn on top (because everything needs a unicorn). Looks like this:

http://freemathworks...-rainbow-facts/

Then DD used it as a reference when needed.

 

My dd loves rainbows! I'm totally going to make a poster like this for her to practice. Thanks for sharing. ;)

[kama]

I just want to say all your suggestions were so wonderful! I have been playing number bond go fish and I think it is helping we are going to try some of the other things in this thread too. Thank you everyone.

[kiwik]

What is it with the fingers at school. You send your five year old to school with a beginning knowledge of counting on and back. Two weeks later they calculate 2+3 by putting up 2 fingers on one hand, three on the other and counting from 1. He did that when he was three.

[AngelBee]

Great thread!

 

We have has great success with c-rods.

[sweetpea3829]

We made number bond bracelets too. DD7 has dyscalculia and memorizing number facts is nearly impossible for her. Not to mention it's meaningless because even if she does memorize the fact, she can't apply it.

 

We bought plastic lacing (gimp), along with beads that were the shape of the number (they were plastic, shaped like the number 1, 2, etc) and plastic stars for lacing. I tied the number bead onto the lacing in such a way that it wouldn't move. Then added the number of star beads. When we are doing subtraction, for example, she'll find the number bracelet that is the "whole" and put the "part" being subtracted on one side of the number, and the rest go on the other side.

 

Maybe I should post a picture...lol.

[sweetpea3829]

 

 

I hope it's big enough...lol, I'm not too familiar with attaching files.

[sweetpea3829]

Sorry for three in a row...

 

Just so you know, while my DD7 has a hard time with math, my DS6 is a math whiz and I did not make him memorize the number bonds before he moved on. He more or less picked them up naturally as he continued to have practice with them, both through learning addition and subtraction and then with mental math. By the time he got to mental math, he had most of the number bonds memorized.

[Veritas4]

Great information! Thanks. I think the counting rope will be a big help for my son.

[Rachel]

I know this is an old post, but it has been quite helpful for me.  We are taking 2 weeks off at Christmas but I don't want my son to lose ground on learning his number bonds to 10.  I'm going to be using a lot of these ideas.

[tld]

On recommendation, I just purchased the workbook and text book for 1A-1B.  Concerning the issues mentioned, I've often wondered if the Extra Practice book would give us more of the practice we need to cement some of these things.  There is just so little review with SM.  I haven't seen the Extra Practice book, so I don't know for sure.  Anyone recommend it, or not?

[GSOchristie]

I did number bonds until my brain was bleeding.  We did it with sidewalk chalk, we did it with Mickey Mouse paint chips, we did it with baggies and beads, we did it with pipe cleaners and beads, we did it with dice, we did it with links, we did it with linking cubes.  If you go to Pinterest, there are hundreds of ideas :).  

[Rachel]

On recommendation, I just purchased the workbook and text book for 1A-1B.  Concerning the issues mentioned, I've often wondered if the Extra Practice book would give us more of the practice we need to cement some of these things.  There is just so little review with SM.  I haven't seen the Extra Practice book, so I don't know for sure.  Anyone recommend it, or not?

I am using it with my 6 year old, we have only used it for 2 units, but I like it so far.

[sunnyday]

On recommendation, I just purchased the workbook and text book for 1A-1B.  Concerning the issues mentioned, I've often wondered if the Extra Practice book would give us more of the practice we need to cement some of these things.  There is just so little review with SM.  I haven't seen the Extra Practice book, so I don't know for sure.  Anyone recommend it, or not?

 

I would get the HIG first. It gives a lot of recommendations and some extra pages for drill, reinforcement, games, etc. Also advises how and when to apply the Review sections of the workbook for best effect.

[Heathermomster]

Maybe take a look at 5 and 10 tray activities.

[tld]

I would get the HIG first. It gives a lot of recommendations and some extra pages for drill, reinforcement, games, etc. Also advises how and when to apply the Review sections of the workbook for best effect.

 

I do have the HIG and like it a lot.  Maybe I need to keep reviewing more of the hands-on activities. But at the same time, for some reason I feel that doing the worksheets would better cement the principles in DS's head.  He likes worksheets and only cares for the hands-on stuff in measured doses.  Maybe I'd use the Extra Practice several (maybe 1/2 a book?) behind, or just as needed.  Hmmm.....I'm getting tempted.

[Coco_Clark]

I do have the HIG and like it a lot. Maybe I need to keep reviewing more of the hands-on activities. But at the same time, for some reason I feel that doing the worksheets would better cement the principles in DS's head. He likes worksheets and only cares for the hands-on stuff in measured doses. Maybe I'd use the Extra Practice several (maybe 1/2 a book?) behind, or just as needed. Hmmm.....I'm getting tempted.

This is exactly what Im doing (using extra practice behind). I found it especially useful when doing the addition/subtraction within 20 unit because even though we slowed waaaay down my son got frustrated and we moved on before he was quite solid. Luckily it's followed up by units on shape, measuring, weight ect that he breezed through, so we plugged away at "extra practice" at the same time. We start book b after Christmas and he's pretty confident now.

[CrunchyGirl]

We used the AL Abacus and the making 10's game from Right Start. I just modified the rules a bit. I grab two of each card for numbers 0-9 and lay them face down. LegoMan would turn over a card and enter it on the abacus and then tell me what number he needed to find to make the match (make ten). For example, if he turned over a 4, he'd be looking for a six. But let's say he turned over a 2 next, he'd add the two to the four on the abacus and tell me the sum. Every turn he had to 1) calculate what he needed to make 10 and 2) add the two numbers he did get together. We played several rounds each day and he learned pretty quickly. We even were able to practice number bonds up to 20 this way so he did 10 and 20 in one fell swoop.

 

I just started this with ArtsyGirl (we are moving very very slowly through SM1A right now). So far so good!