3+4=5+3 (True or False?)

We have launched into the second unit in our Bridges Math Program.  Over the past 2 weeks, the focus has been on addition - creating number sentences in a variety of ways, learning about the greater than and less than signs (> and <), noticing true and false number sentences, and learning about even and odd numbers and the patterns they create.

Students have sorted and counted buttons to determine which two colors appear most frequently.  With these buttons, students examined different combinations to make 6 in a fun activity where they pulled 6 buttons mysteriously out of paper bags and recorded the results using an addition sentence of the 2 colors.  In a work place, students are now exploring different combinations for the numbers 4 through 9. We have created a button addition chart to explore various fact families.  INQUIRE with your child what the secret doors do!

We continue to act out a variety of story problems.  When children hear and playact addition and subtraction story problems, they are able to connect and make deeper connections and develop a thorough understanding of the problem.  This past week we dramatize story problems involving ladybugs and gardeners and developed number sentences to solve the problems.  During work places, students are practicing creating number sentences in a game called, "Bugs in the Garden." INQUIRE with your child if they've had a chance to go to this center!  Have they been able to find all their backwards bugs? I am being pretty strict when it comes to backwards numbers - all children are rewriting backwards numbers and are focusing their energy to forming it the correct way as they play a game called, "which numeral will win" and "spin and write."  

In follow up lessons, students continued to learn how smaller numbers fit together to make larger

numbers.  We explored this concept with odd and even puzzle pieces and tried to fit different pieces together to make different number combinations.  INQUIRE with your child what an odd and even number is.  What numbers are odd? What numbers are even?  

During number corner, we have developed new calendar pieces for the month of October.  We are focusing on position words and describing where a ladybug is in relation to the flower.  Students are starting to notice a pattern - but aren't quite sure what it is yet.  Can you believe we've been in school for 26 days already!  Through number corner we continue to count by 1's, 5's, and 10' and create different ways to show larger numbers. 

Our daily challenges continue to provide opportunities to practice telling time using analog and digital clocks, learn about "doubles and neighbors," count money, measure the temperature, and to explore growing patterns.   INQUIRE with your child how they can show $.10 with coins? Can they do it in more than 1 way?