1. Three in a Row- Count Up 3 is a partner game for applying the Count Up/ On addition fact strategy. Materials needed to play are one game board per player, number cards 3-9 (2-4 sets), and markers to cover your numbers. I just happened to find these team football cards amongst my husband’s sports memorabilia but all you need is a regular deck of cards! Further explanations and directions for each game and activity are included in the free sample.

2. Spin a Strategy is another partner game that requires discriminating between three strategies; Add 0, Count Up, and Doubles. One game sheet, two crayons of different colors, a paper clip, and a pencil are needed to play.

3. Can I Use This Strategy? Make 10 is an activity which can be completed by individuals, partners, or small groups. Each student will need their own recording sheet. Four sets of numbers 1-10 (ace as 1) are needed. Students can be expected to complete this activity in different ways, depending on their reasoning ability and skill level with decomposing numbers.

4. Find, Color, Tally & Graph (Doubles, Make 10, Doubles + 1) is an individual activity for discriminating between strategies. Print the two pages, add crayons, and a pencil and you’re all set! The miniature wooden bat is a baseball team souvenir which I found hidden in a cabinet filled with baseball memorabilia. Based on the team name, I can only surmise that it was a gift given to my husband at least  25 years ago!

5. Color the Sum is a partner game or small group game that focuses on the Add 10 strategy. Each player needs their own paper. Use cards 1-9 (an ace for 1) from a deck of cards, 1 set per player.

These Free Addition Fact Strategy Games and Activities are just a sample of what’s available in the complete Addition Fact Strategy Games & Activities resource available in my TpT store. The full resource includes baseball themed number cards along with:

Games and Activities For Applying Single Strategies

Games and Activities For Discriminating Between Strategies

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I started down that path, never believing that this approach could be effective with my students, those with mild disabilities. Taking on the challenge, I not only modified this approach to meet the needs of my students, I became a firm believer that this is the way to go!

Why Teach Addition Fact Strategies

What I learned is that kids go through three stages on the way to mastering basic facts. These stages are counting, applying strategies, and automatic recall. As much as I love TouchPoints, this approach, along with reliance on fingers or number lines, consigns kids to the counting stage.

Just so there’s no misunderstanding… the counting stage is vitally important while developing conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction. It is also essential for composing and decomposing the parts of a whole. It is crucial to devote adequate time to this stage of development.

However, whether counting all or counting on from the greater number, this approach by itself is neither efficient nor accurate in the long term. The continued use of counting does little to teach reasoning strategies. I still believe, for a relatively few students, using TouchPoints will be the most accurate and efficient method for computation.

Some students, with minimal exposure and instruction, can invent effective mental strategies. Many others will require the explicit teaching of strategies. Learning and applying fact strategies is more accurate and efficient than counting and helps develop fluency. It is easier than memorizing 100 facts in isolation, may positively impact reasoning abilities, and assists with attaining automatic recall.

How I Teach Addition Fact Strategies

My successful approach to the explicit teaching of addition fact strategies includes the following:

• introducing the strategies at the concrete level
• naming the strategies
• using visual and verbal cues
• teaching in a step by step manner

This approach is appropriate for a wide range of students.

I recently updated my Addition Fact Mental Strategy Doubles Free Sample, which can be downloaded from my TpT store. This sample includes a color and black/ gray/ white anchor chart, color and black/ white flashcards with visual cues, and 2 sample worksheets for identifying and discriminating doubles equations.

I am so excited that my top-selling addition fact strategy anchor charts, flashcards, and worksheets have recently been given another cosmetic makeover. In addition, I added an option to use Count On as a strategy instead of Count Up. The strategies covered in each resource are Add 0, Count Up/ On, Doubles, Make 10, Doubles + 1, Add 10, The 9 Rule, The 8 Rule, and Monkey in the Middle. These resources are available individually or as a bundle.

You can find this bundle and it’s individual resources, along with my subtraction fact strategy resources in the Addition and Subtraction category in my TpT store.

Read this blog post, How to Transition From Counting All to Counting On, for more ideas and another freebie.

Which addition strategies are most effective with your students?

Teaching Tidbits

• Introduce each strategy using concrete materials. Ten frames and rekenreks are indispensable tools.
• Teach one strategy to mastery. Teach the second strategy to mastery. Practice discriminating and applying these two strategies. Then teach the next strategy.
• Teach your students where they are. They will learn and apply strategies at their own pace.
• Commit to spending the time it takes. Fluency in basic computation is an essential skill.

This post was last updated on August 7, 2018.

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