Write About Math in First Grade: Addition to 20

Write About Math in First Grade: Addition to 20

Hey, y'all! If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I love doing open-ended activities that aren't-your-mother's-worksheets. This newest set of classroom resources is no exceptions. We've been working on metacognition in our classroom this year, especially in math. So getting my students to write about their thinking has been critical. These Write About Math word problem pages are just what my students need in order to share their thinking. 

First, we read the story problem together and talk about what it is they're asking. Students are NOT allowed to blurt out the first thing that comes to their mind--like the answer. They are only allowed to think for the first 30-60 seconds. Then, we start to solve our problem. My students are allowed to use any of the strategies we've learned about to solve their problem--fingers, number lines, counters, ten frames, etc. They mark on their page what tool they used to show their work. 

Notice there is no "brain" or "mental math" option. In order for students to show their work, they need to have something on the paper. Yes, many of my students know their math facts. But sometimes, they're wrong and need to use something concrete in order to make sure they solved it correctly. 

After we've drawn or counted or whatever to solve the problem, students must then WRITE their steps. They have sentence starters like "First, I" and "Then." My favorite, however, is the "I checked it by:". So students have to essentially solve it in two different ways or go back and double check their counting. Most of my students can fit their thinking onto the lines provided. My savant likes to use the back of the page to really let me know what all went through her head.  

This resource includes word problems with addition to 10, addition to 20, open-ended addition problems within 20, and adding on to 10 to make a teen number. With  40 different prompts, you'll have everything you need to monitor your students' thought processes while doing some simple addition. 

The full addition to 20 resource can be found in my TPT store here. It will be part of a growing bundle of math prompts designed to take you through an entire school year. Be sure to follow me on TPT  because more will be coming shortly. 

I hope this helps with your math block and getting students to slow down and think about what they're doing. Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon. 

Stay cozy,