Mimzy has been having a hard time with subtraction. She often adds the numbers instead of subtracting, and she also is challenged by extracting subtraction number problems from word problems. Today we found something that worked, and it was so great to see the moment of epiphany!
It's as simple as playing ..... "Find! The!! DIFFERENCE!!"
Now, finding the difference isn't exactly something new, but Mimzy decided it should be a game. So when she reads a problem, it goes kind of like this :
"Sally's hair is 24 inches long. She cuts off 6 inches, how long is her hair now? Everybody, it's time to play Find! The!! DIFFEREEEEEHHHHNNNCCCEEE!" She then removes the numbers from the problem, just like she would an addition problem, and thinks about how she has to arrange the numbers to find out the difference. Like I said, not exactly a "new" technique, but it just finally clicked with her, and she's so pleased with herself that she continued doing subtraction problems long after she'd done the amount I asked of her, just so she could keep playing the game.
She also learned today that she already knew how to do multiplication, and I proved it to her by having her recite her 1, 2, 5, 10, and 11 times tables using her ability to count in those groups. She's quite impressed with herself.
Who said Mondays were awful? Learning should be fun, and I'm so pleased that she knows that! <3
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