May 18-22

Dear Parents,

Reminders

·      In your child’s backpack, you will find our Communication folder.  You will find a sample of your child’s reading, writing, and math.  Please take time to review these samples with your child and make comments on their work.

·      Decodable book exchange on Mondays and Thursdays.  Please remember your book

·      Library on Wednesday.  Mrs. Norman is beginning to collect overdue books and will be sending out bills for missing books.

Subtraction

We have been working hard for the last month to build our understanding of addition and subtraction and improve our fact fluency. 

Learning Intentions

• I can show subtraction as taking away, comparing, or finding the missing part.

• I can solve subtraction equations to 20 using different strategies.

• I can explain what subtraction means in a math problem.

• I can use pictures and drawings to help solve subtraction problems.

• I can use tallies to show and solve subtraction equations.

•  I can use a number line to count back and solve subtraction problems.

• I can use counters, cubes, or objects to model subtraction.

• I can use ten frames to help solve subtraction facts.

•  I can find the missing number in a subtraction equation.

• I can use counting back to solve subtraction problems.

•  I can use counting on to help find the difference.

• I can use known facts and patterns to help solve subtraction equations.

•  I can solve subtraction problems to 20 independently using a strategy that works for me.

The following information is a summary of the work that we have been doing on subtraction for the last few weeks.  Some suggestions for activities to support your child's learning are included.  

•	When you know a total amount and you want to figure out how many are left when you take some away, you can count back from the total.   For example, if there are 14 birds and 6 fly away, you can count back to see how many birds are left: 13 (after the first bird flies away), 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.   Note that when you count this way, you say one number for each bird that flies away. You can keep track with your fingers to make sure you say the correct number of numbers.   The number of birds remaining is the last number you say.
•	If you wish, you can count back by 2s and say 12, 10, and 8 as you think of 2 birds flying away at a time.
•	You can represent the situation on a bar model like this:     The bar model shows that there were 14 birds in total; one part (the birds that flew away) was 6, and the other part (the birds that stayed) was 8.
•	You can count back to subtract the part you know from the total.   For example, if there were 14 birds and now there are 8, you can count back 6 numbers from 14 to figure out how many birds flew away: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. You said 6 numbers and ended on 8, so you know that 6 birds flew away.
•	You can count back until you get to the part you know to figure out the part you don’t know.   For example, if there were 14 birds and now there are 6, you can count back from 14 until you get to 6. The number of numbers you say is the number of birds that flew away: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. You ended up at 6. You said 8 numbers, so you know that 8 birds flew away.

 

Subtracting by Counting On

•	Sometimes you know a total and a part, and you want to figure out the other part. This can be done by counting forward, or counting on, from the part you know.   For example, suppose there are 14 people coming for dinner. If you know there are 6 plates on the table, you could count on from 6 to 14 to figure out how many more plates you need.     It’s not the last number that you say that tells you how many more you need; it is how many numbers you say.   You can keep track with your fingers. In this case, you said 8 numbers, so you need 8 more plates.
•	You can count on by 1s or 2s. If you count by 2s, you need 2 plates for every number you say.
•	You can represent the situation on a bar model like this:
•	Even though you are counting on it, you are actually still subtracting the part you know from the total: 14 − 6.

 

Helping Your Child

It is useful for children to continue to practise counting on and also to practise counting back from numbers less than 20. Some practice in counting on by 2s (not starting at 1) is also useful, but do this only when the child is ready.

 

Your child can practise at any time. For example, you can say, “Count on from 6,” “Let’s count back from 15,” or “Can you count back from 10 by 2s?”

Literacy

This week during our literacy time we have been focusing on R controled vowels.  The following is some home practice you may want to look at with your child.