Stage 3 Maths Group - learning to count on

Mrs C recently tested our maths strategies and we found counting on and back difficult.  This week we began learning how to do this from the biggest number.  Counting on is when you don't go back and start counting from 1 each time, you stay on the biggest number then count on the rest.

Here is an example:
5 + 9 =

We would start at the number 9 and count on 5 more until we reached 14.

Here are some photos of Louis and Harley having a go at counting on from the largest number to solve problems quickly..

Here Louis is setting up his number problem using counters.  He has used blue for the 7 counters and now begins to pull down his 6 red counters.

YES Louis!!!  You remembered to count on from 7 instead of starting at 1 and you got the right answer too.  We are going to practice this for a bit before we start practicing it in our heads instead of using materials to help us.

Harley sets up his number problem so that he can solve the equation quickly using counting on.

You are perfectly right Harley!  I noticed you really took your time and double checked that you had used this strategy properly.  No more going back to 1 to count, you will be solving tricky problems in no time.

Please talk to your children at home about their learning and encourage them to show you how to do it, or give you some examples of how they might use the strategy.