Adding and Subtracting Tens

When my students had trouble finding ten more and ten less on the hundred chart I thought I was in for it when adding and subtracting using place value.  Thank goodness I was wrong!

Do you ever have those, "I'm a terrible teacher!" moments?  That was what teaching ten less and ten more led me to.  I tried and tried.  I was pinning ideas and using them like crazy.  I was asking my peers what they were doing, what they were saying, what their anchor charts looked like and said.  Then finally one day they got it!  I'm not sure which trick, tip, strategy or tool that got them there but I sure am thankful!

Now we are adding and subtracting with place value.  To start this work we began with adding and subtracting tens.  I have two fun games that my students L.O.V.E. and beg for!  Click on the picture or the link to pick up your free copy.

Adding Tens Target- students drop two manipulatives (erasers, counters, cubes, etc.) and add together the tens.  (Clip art by Krista Wallden)

Subtracting Tens- Students work in partnerships, they drop one object on the left to find the whole and one object on the right to find the part they subtract.

My students used both white boards and math journals to show their thinking.

Here is our math board right now.  We are also working on a chart of strategies to use when adding and subtracting with place value.

I get so excited to see other people's math anchor charts!  I find so many brilliant ideas.  So if you would like to post your math charts to Instagram just list it with the hash tag: #mathanchorcharts

Here is the chart I posted today with the new hash tag:

(follow me on instagram @ thegototeacher)

and here is another just for fun.

Lastly, I will leave you with our adorable class quilt for the month of February!  The hearts next to them are filled with things they love.  One of them wrote 'bees.'  I guess our inquiry on bees had an impact!

Happy Wednesday!