Left-to-right addition is a powerful mental math strategy for adding numbers with two or more digits. Place value understanding is key, as students will be grouping the tens and then the ones. For example, to solve 24+53, we will first add 20+50 to make 70, then 4+3 to make 7, and finally 70+7 to make 77.
Left-to-right addition is important to teach BEFORE students learn the traditional algorithm. This is because left-to-right addition focuses on conceptual understanding rather than on the memorization of a series of steps.
My Math Fact Philosophy
My resources are created with this philosophy in mind:
•Math should be taught using the Concrete-Representational-Abstract model.
•UNDERSTANDING math facts is more important than memorizing math facts. Conceptual understanding is the key to math fact fluency.
•Students must be able to visualize the math in order to really understand it.
•True math fact fluency is more than just speed and accuracy. It also includes flexibility, which is essential to true fluency.
•One of the best ways to build flexibility is by making connections and forming relationships between facts.
Ideas, games, and activities to bring math to life for your students.
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