By: Kristen Darmafall

CHAPTER 9: DEVELOPING
MEANINGS FOR THE OPERATIONS
 (Textbook example)

Aidan had 7 beads. After she bought some more

beads, she had 15 beads. How many beads did
Aidan buy?

….How do children think?

Before being introduced:
Unlike adults who would just subtract the 7 from the 15, children
use a sense of MIMICKING the situation in the problem by simply
adding on to the 7 until they reach the 15.
 Addition and Subtraction
Problem Structures

Example:
Join/Add to Sally has 3 pennies. Ben gives her
4 more. How many pennies does
Problems: Sally have altogether?

Change
Also known as “add to”

Start Result

Video for this type of problem

 Example:
Sally has 9 pennies. She gives 5
Separate/Take pennies to her friend Ben. How many
from Problems: pennies does Sally now have left?

Also known as “take away or take from”

Change

Start Result
 Example:
Jennifer has 7 pennies and 4 nickels.
Part-Part- How many coins does she have?
Whole
Problems

Whole
Also known as “put together and take apart”
Part Part

Video for this problem type

 Example:
Comparison Brandon has 13 pennies and Megan has
7 pennies. How many more pennies
Problems does Brandon have than Megan?

(Alternative: How many fewer pennies

does Megan have than Brandon?)

Bigger Amount

Smaller
(difference)

Video for this type of problem

 Semantic vs. Computational
 Semantic equations are very likely to be seen
in the “join” problems.
-They are written in the order of the problem
Example: What plus 4 equals 12?
+4=12
 Computational form goes along with semantic
in which the semantic cannot isolate the
unknown.
-Another way of looking at an addition problem
Example: 12-4=
 Three Levels that Children Solve
Addition and Subtraction Problems
1. Direct modeling:
-This is when a child would model every scenario that the problem
provides using actual objects, fingers, or drawings.
Example: 3+2=5

2. Counting Strategies:
-A child would not count every number in the problem; instead, they
count up from the number given to reach the total.
Example: 3+2=5
“3, 4, 5… the answer is 2.”
3. Derived Facts:
-A child would look for techniques to decompose the numbers in a
problem to get a simpler one.
Example: 8+5.
“5 could be broken into 2 +3. 8+2=10. 10+3=13.
So the answer is 13.”
Things to Consider when Making Problems:
 Structure
 Make sure the way you format the problem is a way that
the students can solve by how they are used to

 Numbers
 Do not choose numbers that are too easy or hard

 Wording of the problem

 Make sure it is easy for students to follow
 Make sure it is easy to understand what is being asked
 Symbolism
 After students learn how to figure out problems
utilizing strategies, integrate symbols for them to
learn how to write them.

 “+” means to add or join to.

 Ex: I saw that you had 4 then you added 3 more to get 7.
You can write that as 4+3.

 “-” means to subtract, minus, or take away.

 Ex: I saw that you had 7 but then took 4 away to get 3. You
can write that as 7-4.

 “=“ means equals to or the same as.

 Ex: 3+4=7 because 3+4 is equivalent to 7.
Model-Based Problems for
Addition and Subtraction
 Commutative Property
 Sometimes known as the “order property”

 This means that it does not matter what

order the numbers are added in because they
still get the same solution.

 Example:
 3+4=4+3
 Zero Property
 Also known as the “Identity property”

 This property states that no matter what number is

present, if you add or subtract zero to it, it remains
the same number.

 It is easier to explain to students if you use real life

scenarios or stories to show this

 Ex: If you have 3 pieces of candy and do not give any

away, how many do you have left?
 3-0=3
 Associative Property
(Not in Textbook)

 You can change the grouping of a problem but still

get the same solution.
 Example: (3+7)+2=3+(7+2)

Distributive Property
(Not in Textbook)
•This property combines multiplication with addition.
Example: 3*(2+1)=(3*2)+(3*1)
 Sources

 Youtube.com

 Mathatube.com

 Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics

Textbook