Welcome to Santan Parent Math Night!

First Grade Mathematics Instruction and Strategies

•Overview of Math Tools

•Overview of Math Strategies

•Key Vocabulary Your Child Should Know (by the end of the year)

•Questions from Parents

Tonight’s Objectives

• In first grade, your child will be introduced and expected to use a variety of math tools to help problem solve.

• These tools are helpful in making concrete

meaning to abstract concepts. Students need to be able to fundamentally understand what the concepts and skills are before asked to solve it in a problem-format (more abstract).• Example: 10 more/10 less with Base-

Ten blocks v. Just knowing it by adding/subtracting.

First Grade Math Tools

• Here are examples of some of the most used tools at our grade level:

• Manipulatives (including unifex cubes, linkers, dominos, dice, number cubes, counters, double-sided counters, tiles, etc.)

• Number Lines• Base Ten Blocks• Tens Frames (and Five

Frames)• Hundred’s Charts• Tallies• Place Value Mats• White Boards/Markers• Math Notebooks• Fingers

First Grade Math Tools

• We teach the students that strategies are the plan to help solve the problem. Students are expected to know what strategy he/she used, and also be able to explain that to a peer.

• Although there are many problem-solving strategies, most of the focus in first grade will be focused on number sense—more specifically with addition and subtraction strategies.

First Grade Math Strategies

• Plus Zero/Minus Zero• Counting Up• Counting Back• Doubles • Doubles Plus (1, 2, 3)• Doubles Minus (1, 2, 3)• Tens Partners• Plus Ten/Minus Ten• A Number Minus Itself

• Creating an Easier Known Sum• Creating an Easier

Known Difference• Creating Carrots

(Looking at Place Value)• Decomposing Numbers• Think Addition (Fact

Families)

First Grade Math Strategies

• Students will learn specific math vocabulary that will carry on with them through the grade-levels.

• It is important they learn the correct words and what they mean initially, rather than learning a simpler term that they will have to re-learn later on.

• Math Notebooks

Key Vocabulary

• Addition• Plus• Sum• Addend• Compose

• Subtraction • Minus (take away)• Minuend• Subtrahend• Difference• Decompose

• Equal (Equal to)• Equivalent• Equation/Number Sentence• Symbol

• Quantity• Greater than/More than• Less than• Strategy• Tool• Place Value• Units, Rods, Flats (ones, tens,

hundreds)

Key Vocabulary

• Thank you for coming tonight!

• This presentation will be posted on our website for future review.

• You can also email your child’s teacher with any questions at any time if you need help working on math with your child at home.

Questions?