Facts Patterns - Students work individually to learn addition facts
~ Ruby Clayton

Each student works with manipulatives to build all the combinations of a number. For 7, there are eight combinations. When they build with two colors of manipulatives, they would have groups of say five red and two blue. Then they take a scrap piece of paper, 1 inch by 4, and write the equation on the paper next to what they built. They keep building and writing the equations until they have found all eight. When they think they really know all the combinations of 7, I give them a "test" on seven. They get a quarter sheet of paper with the numbers from 0 to 7 written down the side in random order. They then go to a quiet place in the room and complete the test by themselves. If they are able to complete the test with 100% they move on to the next number. Students that need more practice can choose a different set of manipulatives to work through the building and writing again. Unifix cubes, tiles, pattern blocks, ceramic tiles, toothpicks, and other manipulatives work well. All I have to keep track of is the number each child is working on, and when they pass each number. Every child can work at their own level.

Click here to see a Sample Test