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Exploring Addition with the Larger Blocks

Focus Exploring addition with the Counter or with
the Place mat
hrough the Digi-Block program, children develop a powerful understanding of our number system that allows them both to comprehend conventional algorithms for addition and to create their own techniques that reflect their own sense of the operation. In fact, with the strong conceptual framework developed in the previous two units, young children are surprisingly successful at adding larger numbers. In this section, children combine groups consisting of blocks-of-10 and single blocks. They pack (regroup) when necessary to find the total. Blocks-of-100 may be included if appropriate. Initially children will use the Counter as tools for this process. Later, they can work with blocks on the Place mats. Children should work repeatedly on the tasks in this section, combining collections of blocks in various amounts. Through your questions and their representations of the work, children begin to reflect on the process of addition. Not until the next section, however, will children be asked to predict outcomes and formalize these concepts. Keep in mind that many of the ideas in these sections must be developed over an extended period of time. The text that follows suggests a way in which the Digi-Block materials can be used to foster childrens discovery of an algorithm for addition. You may choose to be more or less directive than is suggested here.

Using the Counter

Have children work in groups. Make available single blocks, empty holders, blocks-of-10, a block-of-100, and a Counter. Cover the dials on the counter. Present a story problem about the blocks. For example:

Carlita has 26 blocks. Ben has 12 blocks. The children put their blocks together. How many blocks do they have?
Ask the children,

How can we show Carlitas blocks on the Counter?

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A few children may take 26 single blocks to load on the Counter one at a time, indicating that they may still need to see all the blocks. If this happens, allow the children to continue, but at the end of the activity discuss whether it was easier to use all ones or tens and ones. When 2 blocks-of-10 and 6 single blocks are on the Counter, have children use the whiteboard to record the number in each place. Leaving Carlitas blocks on the Counter, ask the children,

How can you show Bens blocks on the table in front of the Counter?
Once children have 12 blocks on the table, have them record the number in each place, writing below the digits already recorded on the whiteboard. Next have the children combine both groups of blocks on the Counter. Some children will combine the tens first, which is perfectly acceptable and is in fact a technique commonly used in estimation and mental computation. Once they have combined the blocks, have children set the dials to show the total. Have children clear the blocks and cover the dials on the Counter. Now they are ready to explore more addition examples or story problems. Include an example with no ones, such as 50 + 30, and make sure that children set the dial for the ones place as well as the tens place.

By placing one group of blocks on the Counter and the second group on the table, children model the joining of two quantities.

Next have children follow the same process with an example that requires regrouping, such as 29 + 17. Make sure that children first identify each addend as a separate group, one on the Counter and the other on the table. This clear identification of the groups helps children to better understand the process as well as to record the numbers. As before, the children combine the groups on the Counter, pack the blocks as appropriate, and set the dials. Then ask them to consider this:

When we started, we had 2 blocks-of-10 on the Counter and 1 block-of-10 on the table. Why do we have 4 blocks-of-10 when they are combined?

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Have children explain what they did to find the answer and encourage them to model their techniques for others to see. Children should also represent their work. They can use drawings, stamps, or numbers, and they might write about what they did. At this stage, the focus is on communicating their process. More efficient recording schemes are explored in the next section. Provide several more examples that require regrouping, including some that result in hundreds, such as 56 + 82. Children should have many experiences combining groups of packed collections in the context of story problems, as well as with symbolic examples written in both vertical and horizontal form. Include examples with and without regrouping so that children are involved in a decision-making process. Asking questions while children work helps them to think more explicitly about the process. For example, ask,
Writing about mathematics helps children think explicitly about the processes they are using.

Why are you packing those ones? Where do you put that block-of-10? Why? Do you think you will have to pack this time?

Exploring Addition with the Place Mats

When children become adept at combining groups with the Counter, they can use Place mats and Digit Flip Cards. As discussed in Unit 2, the Place mats do not provide as much structure as the Counter, but the Digit Flip Cards make it highly likely that the children regroup the blocks when necessary. Place mats and f lip cards can be introduced fairly early if Counters are limited, but you can delay their use with children who require the support of the Counter. In the beginning, when children investigate an example such as 24 + 13, you may want them to use two Place mats, placed one above the other (rather than side by side). Children can then show each addend on a separate mat. They then combine like blocks and use Digit Flip Cards to show the total. After a few examples, children can work on a single mat, representing one number near the top of the mat and one near the bottom.

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Working with Larger Numbers
When you think the children are ready, have them investigate addition with three-digit numbers. Once again, the fact that all the blocks look alike except for size makes it easy for children to extend their thinking. The process is exactly the same: The children show two collections of blocks to represent the numbers; then they combine like blocks, packing if there are 10 or more of one kind. Finally they set the dials or Digit Flip Cards to tell the total. Begin with a simple example with no regrouping, such as 121 + 234 (shown in vertical form). Again, be sure that children first represent and record each group separately. You might also present an example with no tens, such as 205 + 102, to make certain that children use the correct blocks and set the dial or card for the tens at zero. Next present an example with regrouping, such as 283 + 132. Have the children explain what they did to find the sum and to model their techniques for others to see. Encourage them to reflect on their actions by asking questions. For example:

A child models 24 + 13 on two Place mats.

When we started, we had 2 blocks-of-100 on the Counter and 1 block-of-100 on the Counter mat. Why do we have 4 blocks-of100 when the blocks are combined?
Again, having children represent their work helps to make their thinking more explicit.
The child then combines the two groups on a single mat and sets Digit Flip Cards to show the total.

When appropriate, have the children investigate examples that require regrouping of both tens and ones, such as 187 + 65. You might also demonstrate an example that results in an answer in the thousands, such as 887 + 323. Again, children need many opportunities to use the blocks to solve a variety of addition examples and story problems. Be sure to include examples with and without regroupings. Also include combinations in which the two addends have differing numbers of digits (a two-digit number plus a three67

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digit number, a one-digit number plus a three-digit number, and so forth). Children can also explore story problems or examples that have more than two addends, placing each addend on a separate Place mat. Children may enjoy a class activity in which each child forms a two-digit number less than 20, and they combine all their blocks to find the total. Children should know that they can represent and combine any number of addends to find the total.

Connecting Ways to Add

Earlier in this unit, working with single blocks and number lines, children counted on to find the sum. In this section, they have been using packed blocks and Counters. Help the children compare these two approaches to addition. Its important for them to realize that they get the same results whether they use the number line or the Counter. Children also will recognize, at least intuitively, that as numbers get larger, counting on by ones becomes very difficult. Yet, adding with the Counter does not get much harder with larger numbers. To connect and compare these two models of addition, start with an example that can be done either way, such as 35 + 49. Have the children find the sum once with number lines and once with packed representations on the Counter. Ask,

How are these two ways to add the same? How are they different?
Next, ask the children to imagine a very long number line and present them with a problem such as 368 + 457. Ask,

How would you use a long number line to find 345 + 567? Would you rather use a Counter or a number line to find the sum? Why?

Practicing Key Ideas

The following activities are written for the Counter and Counter mat, but may be explored on the Place mat as well. Together on a Counter
Write some numbers on index cards, one number per card. Children work in pairs or teams of two. The first child (or team) turns over a card and shows that number of blocks on the Counter. The second child (or team) turns over a card and shows that number on a Counter mat. Children then combine the group on the mat with the group on the Counter and record the corresponding number sentence. Children begin again by clearing the Counter and picking two more cards.
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Race to 300
Children work in teams of two, each with their own Counter. Teams take turns rolling two dice, each of a different color. One color indicates the number of single blocks; the other color, the number of blocks-of-10. Children form the collection identified by the dice and then load those blocks on their Counter. At the end of each turn, players set the dials to show the new number of blocks on the Counter. The first team to reach a total of 300 or more is the winner. Teams can write an addition sentence to represent each turn, or they might keep a running total.

Come Around
Children work in small groups of two to four at one Counter. Prepare four cards, each showing a plus sign and a twodigit number, or have children prepare their own cards. Each number should be different. The cards are shuffled and placed face down.The first child turns over a card, represents that number with the blocks, and then adds them to the Counter.The remaining cards and Counter are then passed to the next child to repeat the process. At the end of each turn, the child sets the dials and announces the number on the Counter. Children might also record addition sentences as they work.

In Come Around, children discover that adding the same four numbers in any order always results in the same total.

After each card has been used once, the cards are shuffled and the process is repeated. Continue until children can predict the final numberthat is, they recognize that with the four given cards, the sum will always be the same. Since accuracy is essential, you may want to monitor this activity or have children in the group monitor each others work.

Assessing Learning
1. Have the child show 32 on the Counter and 18 on the Counter mat. Say,

Show me how to put these blocks together on the Counter and find the number in all. Please tell me what youre thinking as you work.
Does the child model the process correctly? set the dials to show the correct total? explain his or her thinking clearly?

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2. Present a written example with three-digit addends, such as 264 + 129 (in vertical form), and say,

Show me how to use the blocks and the Place mat to find the total. Please tell me what youre thinking as you work.
Does the child model the process correctly? set the Digit Flip Cards to show the correct total? explain his or her thinking clearly? 3. Have a Counter, Counter mat, and Place mat available. Present a story problem such as the following:

You have 48 blocks. You friend gives you another 23 blocks. How many blocks do you have now?
Does the child use the Counter or the Place mat? model the situation correctly? answer correctly?

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