Teaching first grade subtraction

Your Complete Guide to Teaching Your Child the Subtraction Facts - Kate Snow

Everything you need to know to teach your child the subtraction facts, without hours of rote memorization, counting on fingers, or flash cards. 

My rookie teacher mistake

When I was a brand-new teacher, I devoted weeks to making sure that all my fifth-grader students fully mastered the addition facts.

I knew that the addition facts were an essential foundation, and that my students would never feel confident in math without them.

But I didn’t spend a single day reviewing the subtraction facts. I figured that once my students knew the addition facts, they’d be able to figure out subtraction.

I was wrong. 

All year long, the subtraction-strugglers had trouble anytime we hit a topic involving subtraction. Long division. Decimals. Fractions. For each of these topics, my students spent so much effort figuring out basic subtractions they didn’t have much mental energy left over for learning the new concepts.

So why couldn’t my students readily apply their addition fact knowledge to figure out subtraction facts. After all, if they knew 9 + 5 = 14, shouldn’t they also know that 14 – 9 = 5?

What I learned

I was making two mistakes: one about subtraction, and one about how kids think.

First, I was assuming that related addition facts are always the best way to figure out subtraction facts. That’s true of some of the subtraction facts, but often a different thinking strategy works better.

Second, I was assuming that kids think like adults. (Any parent knows that’s not the case!) We adults can reason abstractly: since subtraction is the opposite of addition, we know we can use addition facts to figure out related subtraction facts.

But kids are concrete thinkers. They need to see the connection between addition and subtraction over and over, with hands-on materials and lots of practice, before they can use the addition facts as stepping stones to the subtraction facts.

But, that doesn’t mean that it’s time to start making stacks of flash cards or printing piles of subtraction drill worksheets. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know to teach your child the subtraction facts—without weeks of rote memorization.

What are the subtraction facts? Why are they so important?

The subtraction facts are all of the differences from from 2 – 1 to 18 – 9. Here’s the full subtraction facts chart:

Just like the addition facts, the subtraction facts lay the groundwork for the rest of elementary arithmetic. Without thorough mastery of the subtraction facts, kids struggle as they tackle word problems and subtraction with bigger numbers. This leads to solving problems more slowly, making more mistakes, and an overall lack of confidence in math.

In what grade should children learn the subtraction facts?

Ideally, children should master the subtraction facts at the beginning of second grade. Once they have the subtraction facts down, they’ll be ready to work on more complex second-grade math topics like multi-digit subtraction. But, if your older child hasn’t mastered the subtraction facts, it’s not too late–and learning the subtraction facts will make her more confident and successful in math.

Not sure whether your child has mastered the subtraction facts? Download this free, printable subtraction assessment and find out!

What do children need to know before memorizing the subtraction facts?

Your child should be solid with the following skills before working on mastering the subtraction facts:

• Understand that subtraction can mean taking away or finding a difference. For example, 13 – 8 can mean, “How many are left when you take 8 away from 13?” Or, 13 – 8 can be interpreted as, “How much more is 13 than 8?”
• Understand that subtraction is the opposite of addition.
• Know the addition facts up to 9 + 9. Many subtraction strategies do rely on being able to use “backwards addition,” so this is crucial. (If your child has not yet mastered the addition facts, work on the addition facts first and then tackle subtraction.)

You know your child best, but most children 7 and up are developmentally ready to master the facts. It’s fine to work on the basics of subtraction with a younger child, but don’t expect full mastery until your child is a little older.

How fast should kids know the subtraction facts?

Aim for no more than 3 seconds per fact, and less if possible. But, it depends a lot on your child. Children who process information very quickly are quite capable of knowing each fact in less than 1 second, but children who are slower processors may always need a few seconds. You’re the parent and know your child best, so adjust your expectations to your individual child.

No matter how old your child, try to keep practice time relaxed and positive. Timed tests and drills aren’t necessary unless your child thrives on time pressure and finds it satisfying to beat the clock.

Step 1: Break it up.

Don’t overwhelm your child with all of the subtraction facts at once. Instead, first break the facts into smaller groups.

There are many ways to do this, but I’ve found that tackling the facts in this order usually works best:

1. -1 and -2 facts (bright pink)
2. -3 and -4 facts (bright green)
3. Neighbor Numbers (close-together numbers) (dark blue)
4. Subtracting 5, 6, and 7 from numbers up to 10 (light pink)
5. -9 facts (tan)
6. -8 facts (light green)
7. Subtracting 3, 4, and 5 from numbers greater than 10 (light blue)
8. Subtracting 6 and 7 from numbers greater than 10 (gray)

Breaking up the subtraction facts in this way makes mastering them feel much more do-able (for kids and parents). Plus, your child will build confidence as she starts with the easier -1 and -2 facts and then works her way up to the harder facts.

Step 2: Visualize and strategize.

Just as with the addition facts, this step is the missing piece that allows kids to master the subtraction facts with understanding and not just rote memorization.

You’ve chosen one small group of facts to concentrate on. Now, it’s time to teach your child to visualize numbers and use an efficient strategy to find the answers.

Why visualizing is so important

You might be surprised to hear that visualizing quantities is an essential step. But think about it from a child’s perspective. When most kids think about numbers, they tend to see in their minds’ eye piles of disorganized counters.

So, a child trying to subtract 12 – 4 imagines taking away 4 counters from a pile of 12 counters. He knows that he needs to find how many are left, but the only strategy he has for adding them together is to count each counter one-by-one or to count on his fingers.

Our brains aren’t capable of keeping track so many disorganized counters at once—try it and see!—so no wonder he’ll eventually need to memorize every subtraction fact individually.

But, when children visualize numbers as organized groups, they can get out of the counting and memorizing rut.

How visualizing helps

Imagine instead a child who has learned to visualize numbers as organized groups on ten-frames. Here are those same 12 counters organized on ten-frames.

(A ten-frame is just a simple grid of 10 squares, with a line separating the two groups of 5. The dark line provides a point of reference so that it’s easy to see the numbers greater than 5 as a combination of “5 and some more.”)

Now, to subtract 4 from 12, the child can use a simple, concrete strategy to find the answer.

First, he removes 2 counters from the bottom row. Then he removes 2 more counters from the top row. Now, he can immediately see that there are 8 counters left, so 12 – 4 must equal 8.

With a little practice, he’ll learn how to visualize the numbers and even manipulate them mentally. Because the numbers are organized on the ten-frame, he can bring them to mind and imagine moving the counters to find differences.

Now, he has a reliable, efficient method that will serve as a stepping stone to help him master one group of the subtraction facts. With just a few strategies like this one, he’ll learn all the subtraction facts.

Related: A Parent’s Guide to Subtraction Fact Strategies

Step 3: Practice those facts until they’re mastered.

Once your child has learned one specific strategy for one specific group of subtraction facts, she’ll still need some practice before she’s able to use the strategy fluently.

So, have your child focus on just that specific set of facts for several days. For example, if you’ve taught her the strategy above (which works well for subtracting 3, 4, and 5 from the numbers greater than 10), have her practice just those facts for a few days: 14 – 5, 13 – 5, 12 – 5, 11 – 5, 13 -4, 12 – 4, 11 – 4, 12 – 3, 11 – 3, and 11 -2.

You can tailor your child’s subtraction fact practice to whatever works best for you and your child. Many children thrive on a mix of games and worksheets. Games make mastering the subtraction facts fun and interactive. Plus, they also give you a chance to monitor how well your child is using the strategy (and fix any mistakes before they become ingrained.)

Worksheets are a great complement to games, because they give your child the written practice that she needs to be able to use the facts fluently in her written schoolwork.

Step 4: Mix those facts with other facts.

Once your child has mastered one set of facts, it’s time to mix them up with the facts she’s already mastered. Mixing them together gives her practice at choosing the right strategy and provides cumulative review so that the facts are cemented in her long-term memory.

Teach Subtraction Facts That Stick

So, that’s all 4 steps! You’re now well-equipped to teach your child the addition facts (and not just drill stacks of flash cards. )

You could spend hours planning out lessons, making up your own worksheets, and searching online for games. (And hey, if you like doing that kind of thing, go for it!) But, if you have other things to do, I’ve already done the work for you.

Subtraction Facts That Stick is an open-and-go, all-in-one book for teaching your child the subtraction facts.  It provides detailed lesson plans, fun games, and simple worksheets for every step of the process, so that you can teach your child subtraction facts that truly stick.

5 Strategies for Teaching Subtraction in 1st Grade

Raise your hand if you feel like you have mastered teaching addition strategies? But…when it comes to subtraction, you could use some help. If you can relate to this question, you are definitely not alone. Subtraction is a tricky concept for many of our students. And, it can often be a bit harder to teach! Like with addition, we want our students to become fluent with these math facts, but this requires time and practice. If you are searching for strategies to teach addition, be sure to check out this post. And, if you are ready to learn some strategies to help you teach subtraction like a rockstar, then keep scrolling!

Like with many other concepts we teach, there is never a one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one student might not necessarily work for another, so equipping our students with many strategies and approaches can help them better grasp and understand subtraction.

Anchor Charts

I love anchor charts. They are not only great learning tools for students, but they also allow your students to be actively involved with what they are learning. As I teach a lesson, my students help me create the anchor chart with important content and strategies. And, then the anchor chart will contain the various subtraction strategies, and my students can refer to the anchor chart if they need some guidance.

Some ideas for a subtraction anchor chart would be:

-use manipulatives

-count backward on number line

-count up from the smaller subtrahend

Relate to Addition

I mentioned that teaching addition is just a bit easier for me, and I know many of you can relate. I am guilty of spending way more time teaching addition but, the good news is that many of the addition strategies that we use can also be applied to subtraction. For instance, in addition, we teach our students counting on. And, with subtraction, we can focus on counting back. So, think of the strategies that you find that your students do well with when it comes to addition, and work them in a way to use with subtraction.

Manipulatives

Counting bears, snap cubes, and erasers are just a few of my must-haves to use with subtraction. Using manipulatives and counters is one of the first strategies I always use to teach subtraction. Manipulatives allow students to see what it means to take something away and visually see subtraction happening. I let my students use manipulatives with math centers, worksheets, and games. In my opinion, manipulatives are the most concrete strategy for helping students truly understand subtracting concepts. There are so many great ways to use manipulatives. Many of my students are visual learners, so it’s essential that they need manipulatives to assist them with subtraction in the beginning stages.

Visualizing

And speaking of visual learners… Visualization is another strategy that plays a huge role in students building fluency. At the same time, manipulatives are a great hands-on way to teach subtraction. But, I mean allowing students to truly see subtraction happening. A human number line is a fun and interactive way for students to learn visually. And, it’s a great team-building activity. I also encourage my students to draw, especially when doing story problems. When they draw out the problem, they can solve the subtraction problems better. Number lines are a great tool to help students visually solve the problem as well.

Games

After teaching various strategies and using anchor charts, it’s time to put our knowledge to work which is where games come in. Every single time you teach a new strategy, practice with a game. Games allow students to not only have fun with the learned material but also allows them time to practice and gain experience. Games invite students to try out the strategies but in a way that making a mistake is ok, and in turn, their confidence builds.

One of the most critical aspects of teaching different subtraction strategies is to make sure your students are able to clearly explain HOW they got their answer. This is why I love number talks. So, after introducing a specific strategy, make sure you bring it into your number talks so that your students have hands-on practice explaining their logic.

As always, my best piece of advice is practice, practice, and practice. While one strategy may work, another one might need a bit more practice for your students to master it. What is your favorite method for teaching subtraction?

How to teach a child to count: a quick and easy way to learn mental counting up to 10, 20 and 100

Counting is one of the basic skills that is desirable to master before the child goes to school. No one will demand that a first grader solve complex examples - but learning to count the number of objects and knowing the basics of addition and subtraction before school will be useful. The child will not have difficulty understanding the teacher's requests - for example, "take two pencils" - and the first grader will not feel less smart than peers who have already learned to count.

Sending your child to school, take care not only of his intellectual preparation. After all, at school, the kid will face a whole new world. Some children have a hard time adjusting. Make sure that your child is not offended by peers or teachers, that he has no problems and is safe with the help of the Find My Kids app!

There are many ways to teach a child to count: according to the methods developed by professional teachers, in a playful way, with the connection of rhymes and thematic videos. Whichever way you choose, learning to count can be considered the first step to learning mathematics. A good knowledge of mathematics is a guarantee not only of positive assessments, but also excellent memory and attention, developed logical thinking, and the ability to calculate the right solution in any situation.

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Content:

• Getting Started with Numbers: When and Where to Start
• How to teach a child to count to 10
• How to teach a child to count to 20
• How to teach a child to count to 100
• Addition and Subtraction: Effective Ways to Learn
• Methods for teaching counting, created by famous teachers
• Easy Learning to Count: Tips for Parents

The first acquaintance with numbers: when and where to start

You can start introducing your baby to numbers at the age of 1.5-2 years. But it is too early to expect significant mathematical success from a small child, although children quickly understand the difference between the concepts of “one” and “many” even at an early age.

Briefly about the stages of teaching a child to count - in the table:

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Trying to teach a child to count too early is not worth it because of the differences between children's thinking and adults. There is such a thing as the Piagetian phenomena, proven by the French psychologist Jean Piaget.

The psychologist proved that children under six years of age cannot treat counting abstractly, considering a mathematical operation to be correct only in the present tense and precisely with those objects that an adult shows. For example, a toddler under six years old will be convinced that if you take apples to another room, or replace apples with pears, then the number of items will change.

It is best to teach children to count in 4 stages:

1. At 2-3 years old, it is enough to teach a child to understand the difference between "little" and "a lot".
2. At 4-5 years old, it's time to learn to count within 10 concrete, not abstract, objects: sweets in a vase, plates on the table, books on the shelf.
3. At the age of 5-6, a child can be taught to count up to 10 and up to 20, and show how numbers look and are written. At the same age, the baby is already able to understand the terms “more-less”, adding the right amount to the objects or, conversely, removing the excess in order to achieve equality (for example, laying out toys in equal piles).
4. By the age of 6-7, the child is ready to learn to count up to 100, and to add and subtract numbers up to 10.

How to teach counting to 10

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You can teach your child to count to 10 before the age of five, or, if necessary, at an older age. The main conditions for successful learning to count up to 10 are a good vocabulary of the child and his interest in numbers.

How to teach a child to count to 10:

• focus on the numbers that you already use in everyday situations, for example: “Now you are four years old, and soon you will be five years old”, “It's time to get up, it's already seven o'clock”;
• show images with different number of objects within 10: illustrations in books, cubes, own drawings;
• to quickly remember the sequence of counting up to 10 will help educational videos and cartoons on the relevant topic;
• connect the elements of mental arithmetic: teach your child to use abacus - often children quickly master counting within 10, studying with abacus abacus, or even with classic wooden abacus;
• use an element of the Montessori method: the famous teacher successfully taught children aged 3-6 to count, regardless of their initial abilities, using the most visual practical material - money (Maria Montessori considered the exchange of money exercises to be the most effective lesson for understanding the account).

Sending your child to school, take care not only of his intellectual preparation. After all, at school, the kid will face a whole new world. Some children have a hard time adjusting. Make sure that your child is not offended by peers or teachers, that he has no problems and is safe with the help of the Find My Kids app!

How to teach counting to 20

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You can teach your child to count to 20 when he can confidently count to 10. To quickly and easily master counting to 20, proceed in the following sequence:

1. Tell your child what zero is (if they don't already know) using visual examples. For example, show two books or any two other identical objects, and then remove them. Explain that there were two books, and now there are zero.
2. Show how new numbers are formed - it will be easier for a child to understand the principle using the example of numbers ending in zero. Tell me that in the Old Russian language "twenty" means ten and, accordingly, the number 20 is two tens (you need to count to ten twice).
3. Introduce your child to the concept of "composition of a number" - also with the help of improvised items: counting sticks, toys, fruits. Put 10 identical items in one row, place an item different from these ten items on top, for example, a counting stick of a different color. Explain to the child that the number is eleven. By adding sticks on top, show how 12, 13, 14, and the rest of the numbers up to 20 are made.
4. Give the child the task of collecting a certain number of identical objects (16, 17, 18, etc.) such as small toys, and together count the number of objects out loud.
5. Fix the material with a number line from 0 to 20 - so the child will learn to count to 20 much faster. You can draw a number line yourself or use a ruler 20 centimeters long. By exercising with a ruler, the baby will gradually remember how to write numbers correctly and their correct sequence.

How to teach counting to 100

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When your child can count to 20 without slipping, it's time for parents to help their son or daughter master counting to 100. Try teaching your toddler to count to 100 in this way:

1. Tell the child that numbers over ten used to be called “two ten”, “three ten”, “four ten”, and so on. Later, the word "ten" was shortened to "twenty" and the familiar "twenty", "thirty", "fifty" appeared. The exceptions to remember are "forty" (meaning "a lot") and "ninety" (meaning "nine to a hundred").
2. Practice remembering tens in the correct sequence from 10 to 100: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50…
3. Remembering the correct sequence of tens, move on to units. Explain to the child that the numbers from 20 to 100 are not in a row - there are always units between them: 21, 22, 23, etc. Children who are good at counting up to 10 and up to 20 quickly understand and remember the sequence of counting up to one hundred.
4. Ask your child to learn the numbers gradually, one ten a day: from 10 to 20, from 20 to 30, and so on up to 100.
5. Practice activities in play forms. Connect children's love to look for inconsistencies and mistakes: intentionally skip a number in a row up to 100, and ask your child to find the "missing" number - such logic games help to quickly memorize the score up to 100.

Having mastered the numbers, proceed to the gradual study of the multiplication table. We have collected in one place and talked about the most effective ways to help your child easily cope with this task!

Addition and subtraction: effective ways to learn

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By the time they start school, most children already know how to operate with basic mathematical operations - addition and subtraction. The modern program for the first grades is built in such a way that children are given tasks for addition and subtraction almost immediately - and it is better to learn how to add and subtract in time at preschool age.

Start familiarizing yourself with basic math operations by using visual objects - cubes, counting sticks or other things that are convenient for the child:

• disassemble the number 2: show the child that if you add one object and another object, you get 2;
• in the same way, disassemble the rest of the numbers within 10 by composition;
• make sure that the child understands the principle of parsing and puts things together without mistakes;
• Having mastered addition, proceed to subtraction using the same visual objects.

When your child learns to add and subtract objects, move on to finger addition and subtraction—or skip this step if your son or daughter is skillfully and confidently adding and subtracting everything around them. In any case, make sure that the baby gradually weaned from counting on the fingers - teachers notice that the habit of counting on the fingers prevents children from learning to count mentally.

How to teach a child to count on fingers:

1. Start with five fingers on one hand and think of puzzles that are interesting for your baby. For example, an addition task: “You have 2 cars, so straighten two fingers. My brother has 3 cars, straighten three more fingers. You have 5 cars in total.
2. Offer to solve subtraction problems. For example: “Mom has 4 sweets, straighten four fingers. Mom gave you one candy, bend one finger. Mom has 3 sweets left.
3. When the child begins to add and subtract without errors within five, proceed to similar activities with the connection of all ten fingers.

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Learning to add and subtract mentally is one of the most useful skills for a preschooler and will greatly facilitate the study of mathematics in school. Before teaching a child to count mentally, make sure that he knows how to add and subtract objects, and that he can count at least within twenty.

How to teach your child to count mentally:

1. Create a clear connection between the number and the visual image in your child: connect games with mathematical dominoes and cubes. You can use a mathematical set according to the Zaitsev method: a set of cards that connects a number and a geometric figure. Children perceive classes according to Zaitsev's method well - gradually you can learn addition and subtraction even within a thousand.
2. Teach your child, if he does not yet know what is "more", "less", "equally" with the connection of illustrative examples.
3. Spend enough time parsing the number. To add 4 and 3, the child must know that these numbers "fit" into the number 7. The same principle works with subtraction: to subtract 5 from 8, you need to know that 5 and 3 "fit" into 8.
4. Introduce the child to the rule "the sum does not change from a change in the places of the terms."
5. Connect to learning any game aids that your baby will like: cubes, tables, counting sticks, cards, themed board games.

If a child can count up to a hundred and understands well what units and tens are, then usually there are no difficulties with counting in a column.

How to teach a child to count in a column:

1. Explain that numbers are added and subtracted in a column by digits: units - separately, tens - separately.
2. Show the sequence of actions if, when adding units, a number is obtained greater than or equal to 10: you need to write down only the second digit, and remember the first. For convenience, the first resulting figure can be written above the tens place. Parents probably remember from school times the expression: “We write two - one in the mind” (or other numbers from 0 to 9). Example: 17 + 15 = 7 + 5 = 12 (two is written, one goes to tens) = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 (total sum of the tens digit) = 32 (the first digit is the sum of the tens digit, the second digit is the sum of the ones digit ).

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3. Teach your child to subtract in a column. The principle of operation is almost the same as during addition, only if the upper digit in units turned out to be less than the lower one, then the missing unit must be “borrowed” from tens. For example: 31-13 \u003d 11-3 \u003d 8 ("took" the number 1 from tens) \u003d 2-1 \u003d 1 (the number 3 in tens decreased by the "busy" unit) \u003d 18.

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Methods for teaching counting created by famous teachers

Try to connect one or several effective pedagogical methods to the study of counting:

The Peterson method teaches children mathematics exclusively in a playful way: with the help of cubes, drawing, logic games.

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Glen Doman's method is based entirely on visualization: children see the numbers on the cards and the number of points corresponding to the numbers, gradually mastering the count:

1. Prepare cards from cardboard: on one side write a number, on the other side draw the number of dots corresponding to this number.
2. Show the child a card with one dot and clearly state the number "One".
3. Move on to other cards in the same way. Do not linger - one card should take as much time as it takes to pronounce a certain number.

In the first few sessions, the child can act as an observer. Don't ask him to repeat. After showing all the cards (10, 20 numbers depending on age), be sure to praise the baby, tell him how you love him and how you like to teach him. You can treat the future mathematician with something tasty, since physical encouragement is an integral part of Glenn Doman's methodology.

From 3-4 lessons you can start shuffling the cards, that is, showing them not in a clear digital order. Remember the main thing: show quickly, praise generously.

Children learn to count with the help of knuckles, and later immediately begin to count in their mind without using the count or any other tools.

Read also: What you need to know about the psychological readiness of the child to learn?

Easy learning to count: tips for parents

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Rules for teaching preschoolers mathematics that have already proven their effectiveness in practice:

• study 20-30 minutes a day, dividing classes into 2-3 times;
• do not focus on repetition if this is not required to solve new problems: repetition for the sake of repetition in mathematics only slows down the result;
• move on to new material when the child has properly mastered the previous one;
• use the acquired knowledge in everyday life: count the steps, paws of cats, money in the store;
• trust the child to complete tasks on his own - so the baby's self-confidence will only increase.

Be patient. Even if it’s hard and it seems that you have already explained it a hundred times, but the child still didn’t understand anything. Gradually, even such a difficult task as learning to count will fit in the child's head and, perhaps, your baby will become a future excellent student in mathematics!

September 1, 2020:

• Will the children go to school in September and what will happen to the ruler? Answers to the main questions of parents
• Preparation for September 1: checklist for parents. What should be done?
• What to give a child on September 1?

Getting ready for school:

• How to get your child ready for school and not become bankrupt?
• The best smartphones for students for every wallet
• Backpack, knapsack or briefcase for a student: what to choose and how?

For parents of first graders and preschoolers:

• Getting into school: a complete guide for parents of first graders
• First Grader Complete Set: What's on the shopping list
• How to help your child adjust to school

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How to teach a child to count to 10, 20, 100

How to teach a child to count

Many children come to the first grade already with counting skills, so it is important for parents to teach him in advance. Today there are many techniques that make it interesting and fun.

Do not impose learning to count, it should be easy: in the course of daily activities or play. Count familiar objects together, gradually complicating the tasks. For example, he easily visualizes two oranges or four plates, but hardly abstract sets.

When to teach your child to count

Most experts believe that the best time to teach kids to count is 3-5 years. It is at this age that the child begins to be interested in new things and learns to establish patterns between numbers. However, everything is very individual. If the baby is actively exploring the world and is interested in mathematics earlier, you can start learning from the age of 1.5.

What methods to use to teach counting

We have collected proven methods that allow you to do this in a playful way that is interesting for the child.

• Finger counting . The technique helps to understand how to teach a child to count to ten. It will be difficult for a baby to remember all the numbers at once, so you can start with five and focus on the fingers of one hand. Introduce the child to their names, then connect the second hand. You can use finger games when one disappears or two or three fingers meet together.
• Using learning cards and sticks . You can lay them out one by one on the table and name the numbers, then move one part of the sticks to the right and the other to the left and ask how many sticks are in each part.
• Number games . Teaching children to count can take place in a playful way. For example, the role-playing game "shop". You need to choose who will be the seller and who will be the buyer, and assign a currency. Selling or buying sweets and toys, the child will easily remember the numbers up to ten and even up to twenty.
• Montessori method . It's like playing shop. You can give the child different coins, for example, a ruble, two, five, and ask him to calculate the amount or change money.
• Doman method . The author recommends using cards with red dots for counting. The color will attract the baby's attention.

• Hundred Account . Nikolai Zaitsev suggests immediately showing numbers from 0 to 99. So the child will understand how many tens and units each number makes.

• Polyakov's method . You will need cubes, a box with compartments according to the number of cubes and numbers. First, one cube is taken, placed in a cell and the number 1 is placed next to it. And so on up to 100.

How to teach your child to count to 20

To teach your child to count to 20, use two pairs of hands - yours and his own. You can also use cubes, cards, sticks or draw dashes - whatever comes to mind. Such an account is given as easily as up to 10. At this stage, the child needs to understand the composition of the number.

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How to teach a child to count up to 100

Tell your child that there are only nine tens, then name each tens: ten, twenty, thirty, and so on. Invite him to memorize 10 new digits of each ten every day. At the end of the day, ask what the child remembers and repeat what they have learned on other days. To simplify repetition, you can count the objects that are in front of you. After the child has mastered the tens, invite him to play a game: write a series of numbers with tens and skip one number in the middle. Ask your child to complete the pass.

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You can also use Glen Doman's method. First, the child needs to be shown cards with no more than five dots, then increase their number to 20, 50, and then up to 100. This method will also help train visual memory.

It is important to draw the child's attention to the numbers from 11 to 19, as they are called differently from the rest.

How to teach a child to add and subtract

To teach a child to solve examples, visualization is needed again. Bend and bend your fingers, remove and take out sweets.

Addition and subtraction are reciprocal operations. This connection needs to be conveyed to the child. That is, to demonstrate that 2+1 = 3 is the same as 3−1 = 2 and 3−2 = 1. If the child has mastered the principle, there will be no problems with other numbers.

To teach a child to add and subtract within 20, you need a number beam. For example, 5+3. We find the number 3 on the beam and take five steps to the right. You can do the same with your fingers. So you can teach to count with the transition through a dozen and without.

Actions with the transition through ten have a peculiarity: you need to know the composition of the number and the pair of numbers that together form a ten (1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, 5 and 5). For example, 7+6. Seven to ten lacks three, that is, it turns out 7 + 3 + unknown. The six gave away three to ten, which means that there are still three left. Then it turns out: 7+3+3.

How to teach a child to count in columns

Explain that in addition and subtraction, all actions are performed in digits: tens with tens, ones with ones. For example, 31 + 12: a three is added to a unit, a unit to a two.

To simplify, you can do training exercises - for example, write numbers under each other. Number 6 at the bottom, 12 at the top. It is important to explain to the child that six should be under the number 2, and not 1, as it refers to units.

Start with simple examples, where numbers add up to a number less than 10. Then you can move on to examples with a transition through ten: for example, 25 + 16. 5 + 6 add up to 11. Then we write the unit from 11 under the line, and we remember the unit as a ten. When we add the tens, we get 2 + 1 and another +1, which we kept in our heads.

In the case of subtraction, you should also start with simple examples and gradually move on to more complex ones. For example: 25-16, in the column where there are ones, 5 less than 6, explain to the child that in this case we kind of “borrow” a unit from tens.

For convenience, you can use the symbols that are marked in blue in the figure. In the first case, a ten is added, in the second, a dot serves as a reminder of a “busy” ten.

Counting games and exercises

Lego

Build towers with a certain number of blocks to teach your child to count. Later Lego will be needed in the development of fractions.

Fairy tales

Read to your child passages from fairy tales that contain numbers. He needs to clap as soon as he hears them.

Coloring pages with examples

You can teach your child to add and subtract through coloring pages, where an example is written in each cell, by solving which the child will recognize the color.

Board game "Strawberry paths"

There are two types of cards in the game: "Picking berries" and "Sharing berries". In the first case, you need to string a certain amount on your thread, and in the second, subtract, that is, give away. In the process, you need to count the berries and compare.

Dominoes with numbers

The principle is the same as with pictures. One domino with two numbers around the edges is laid out by the child, the parent picks up a die with one of the numbers. The one who gets rid of the dominoes first wins.

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