5 Types of Addition Strategies

Summary

In this educational video, Krystina introduces five strategies for solving addition problems, emphasizing their importance for building math skills. She warns against directly teaching these strategies to students, as they should emerge naturally from their understanding of numbers. The strategies include compensating, give and take, decomposing, breaking apart by place value, and the traditional algorithm. Krystina stresses the importance of number sense and place value in mastering these strategies, suggesting that teachers should encourage students to choose the best strategy for each problem rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses five strategies for solving addition problems, emphasizing that these should not be directly taught but should emerge naturally from students' understanding of numbers.
• ⚠️ Warning: The strategies discussed are not meant to be taught to all students universally, but rather to be aware of the different ways students might approach problems.
• 🔍 The strategies might be named differently by various educators, and the video encourages using names that reflect the mathematical concepts involved.
• 🧠 The strategies are based on students' number sense and understanding of place value, which are foundational for effectively using these strategies.
• 🔄 The strategies include compensating, give and take, decomposing, breaking apart by place value, and the traditional algorithm.
• 📈 The compensating strategy involves rounding numbers and then compensating for the difference, which helps in understanding the relationship between numbers.
• 🔄 The give and take strategy is similar to compensating but involves adjusting both numbers to make the addition easier.
• 📉 Decomposition involves breaking numbers into smaller, more manageable parts to facilitate addition.
• 🔢 The place value strategy involves breaking numbers into their place value components and adding them separately.
• 📘 The traditional algorithm is a systematic, step-by-step method taught in many educational systems for addition.
• 💡 The video stresses the importance of allowing students to choose the strategy that makes the most sense for the problem at hand, rather than prescribing a single method.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video series introduced by Krystina?

The video series focuses on different strategies for solving addition problems, including time, measurement, and money addition, with the goal of building math minds in students.

Why does Krystina advise against directly teaching all five strategies to students?

Krystina advises against directly teaching all five strategies because students naturally use these strategies based on their understanding of numbers. Forcing them to learn all the strategies could cause confusion and doesn't allow for the organic development of number sense.

What is the 'compensating' strategy in solving addition problems?

The compensating strategy involves altering a number in a problem (e.g., rounding 399 to 400), solving the modified problem, and then adjusting the result to compensate for the change made initially.

How does the 'give and take' strategy differ from the 'compensating' strategy?

The 'give and take' strategy differs because instead of rounding a number, students shift part of one number to the other to make the numbers easier to work with. For example, a student might take 1 from 456 and add it to 399 to make 400 and 455.

What does Krystina mean by 'decomposing' in math addition?

Decomposing refers to breaking one of the numbers in the addition problem into smaller, more manageable parts, which are then added sequentially to simplify the process.

Why does Krystina prefer not to use number lines for the decomposing strategy?

Krystina prefers not to use number lines for the decomposing strategy because it is difficult to make the hops proportional, which can lead to confusion. Instead, she uses arrows or simpler methods.

What is the role of number sense in using these addition strategies?

Number sense is crucial because students must understand the relationships between numbers and how they interact. Without strong number sense and place value understanding, students will struggle to use these strategies effectively.

How is the 'place value' strategy used in addition?

In the place value strategy, students break down the numbers into their place values (hundreds, tens, and ones) and then add each place value separately before combining the sums.

What does Krystina mean by the traditional algorithm, and why does she not prioritize it?

The traditional algorithm refers to the step-by-step process of adding numbers by columns, carrying over when necessary. Krystina doesn’t prioritize it because it doesn't build number sense or place value understanding, as it can be done mechanically without deeper understanding.

What is Krystina's ultimate goal in teaching students these strategies?

Krystina's goal is to help students develop enough number sense and understanding of place value to choose the most appropriate strategy for each problem, rather than forcing them to use all strategies or rely solely on the traditional algorithm.