Addition practice in 1st grade, specifically adding three numbers, can be a fun and challenging activity for first-grade students.
To help students stay engaged and challenged, it’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of problems they’re working on. This blog post outlines five super easy ways to enrich addition practice and adding 3 numbers for first-graders.
Addition Practice With Larger Numbers
To keep students engaged and challenged in their addition practice, it’s important to gradually increase the difficulty of problems they’re working on. One way to do this is by using larger numbers when adding 3 numbers. This strategy requires students to not only use their basic addition skills but also their understanding of place value and mental math.
By using bigger numbers, students will be required to break down the numbers into smaller parts and add them together in a way that makes sense. This can help them develop stronger problem-solving skills and become more confident in their ability to tackle challenging addition practice.
For example, 24 + 38 + 15 = ?
To solve this problem, students must first break down each number into its place value parts. For example, 24 can be broken down into 20 + 4, 38 can be broken down into 30 + 8, and 15 can be left as is. Next, students can add the numbers with the same place value parts, starting from the largest place value and moving down. For example, they can add 20 + 30 to get 50, then add 4 + 8 to get 12
Now they are left with 12 + 15 which can be broken down into 10 + 10 and 5 + 2. When they add the tens and ones they should get 77. See the image above to see this broken down.
Another addition practice strategy would be to let students use or draw base ten blocks. They can then move and manipulate the blocks to solve.
By using larger numbers and three addends, students are required to use their place value knowledge and mental math skills to solve the problem. This can help them develop stronger problem-solving skills and become more confident in their ability to tackle challenging math problems.
Use Mental Math to Enrich Adding 3 Numbers
Mental math is an important addition practice skill that students can develop and improve through practice. One way to do this is by challenging them to solve addition problems with three addends without using any writing tools, such as a pencil or paper.
This forces students to rely on their mental math skills and enhances their ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately. Additionally, solving problems mentally can help students see connections between numbers and develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
Encourage your students to start with smaller numbers and gradually increase the difficulty as they become more comfortable with mental math. This strategy can be both fun and challenging for students and help them become more confident in their math abilities.
Let’s look at this example: 14+12+9
To begin, students can add the first two numbers: 14 + 12 by making a ten. They would give 2 from the 12 to the 14 making it 16 + 10 = 26.
Next, they can add the third number, 9, to 26. One way to do this is to break the 9 into two parts: 4 and 5. Then, they can add 4 to 26 to get 30, and then add the remaining 5 to get 35. Therefore, the answer to the problem 14 + 12 + 9 is 35.
By completing addition practice with three addends mentally, students can develop their mental math skills and become more confident in their ability to perform arithmetic operations without relying on a pencil or paper. This strategy encourages them to think more critically and creatively.
Addition Practice With Missing Addends For Adding 3 Numbers
Adding missing addends to addition problems with three addends can be a great way to challenge your students’ math skills and encourage them to think more critically.
One way to do this is by providing problems with larger numbers and missing addends, such as 8 + __ + 6 = 20. To begin, students can add the three known addends: 8 + 6 = 14. Next, they can subtract this sum from the total sum of 20 to find the missing addend: 20 – 16 = 4. Therefore, the missing addend is 4.
By adding missing addends to addition problems with three addends, students are required to use their place value knowledge and mental math skills to figure out what number is missing. This can help them develop stronger problem-solving skills and become more confident in their ability to tackle challenging math problems.
Create a 3 Addend Problem To Match a Sum
Providing students with an addition practice challenge where they must find a solution using a certain number is a great way to encourage them to think creatively and use their problem-solving skills.
One way to do this is by challenging students to create an addition with 3 addends problem that equals a given number. For instance, you can ask them to create an addition problem with three addends that equals 15.
You could also ask them how many different possibilities they can come up with for that specific number.
This requires students to think critically and apply their knowledge of addition to come up with a solution. By creating their own addition problems, students can develop their ability to think abstractly. This challenge can be a fun and engaging addition practice activity while also encouraging creativity and critical thinking.
Mix Addition Practice of Adding 3 Numbers with Subtraction
Mixing addition and subtraction in 3 addend problems can provide a new level of challenge for students, while also helping them to practice their addition and subtraction skills together.
For example, you can give students problems like 10 + 8 + 3 – 6. In order to solve this type of problem, students must add the first three addends (10 + 8 + 3) and then subtract the fourth addend (6) from the sum.
This requires them to use both addition and subtraction skills in the same problem, while also developing their ability to use inverse operations to check their work. Encouraging students to practice with a mix of addition and subtraction problems can help them become more confident in their math abilities and provide a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
Enrichment For Adding 3 Numbers Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering the skill of adding three numbers is an essential building block for a child’s mathematical development. With the help of these tips and tricks, students can gain confidence and fluency in this area. It is important to keep in mind that every child learns differently, and differentiation is key in ensuring that all students are given the opportunity to succeed.
If you want differentiated small group plans for adding 3 numbers that not only provides enrichment lessons but also lessons for your on level and struggling learners, check out these 1st grade math plans.
This packet comes with five different lessons to teach this skill, along with differentiated student work mats, answer keys, independent practice pages, and games. Teachers can also ask the higher order thinking questions provided to deepen understanding. In addition, differentiated word problems are provided to help students apply this skill to real-world situations. With these resources, students can build their confidence and proficiency in adding three numbers.
Want more strategies for adding 3 numbers? Check out this post!
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