#Compose and decompose numbers to 10 how to#

It’s a definite progression, and the grade level suggestions are just that… suggestions. And in first grade, we transition into written addition and subtraction facts. Lots and LOTS of manipulatives! Some of my absolute favorites are Unifix cubes, counting bears, two-sided counters, and ALL the mini-erasers from Target! (I may have a slight obsession with these!) In kinder, we start putting a little more structure to it by adding in written representations of the number combinations. We lay the foundation in preschool and pre-k with manipulatives. So, to teach decomposing numbers, we need to give our kiddos as many different opportunities as possible to play with these different combinations of numbers. But when we’re teaching flexible skills, we have to teach them in flexible ways. You model it, teach it, and have your kiddos practice it until they get it.

The counting sequence is always the same. Numbers are always written the same way, and you model it, teach it, and have your kiddos practice it the same way over and over until they get.

#Compose and decompose numbers to 10 how to#

Skills that are conceptual in nature are only developed through experiences… and a LOT of them! In other words, it’s not a simple procedure you can teach like when you teach how to write a number or how to count. The best way to teach your kiddos to decompose numbers is to give them as many experiences with it as possible. We go straight from counting to adding and subtracting without giving our kiddos time to play with and develop the concept of decomposing. They need to And that’s where we mess up. And our youngest learners need to have a firm grasp on this long before we ever expect them to write an addition sentence or memorize a subtraction fact. For example 6 can be broken down into different pairs of numbers: 0 & 6, 1 & 5, 2 & 4, and 3 & 3. To put it simply: bigger numbers are combinations of smaller numbers, and our kiddos need to be able break them down and put them together. They need to understand the concept of decomposing numbers, and they need to be able to apply that understanding in different situations and different ways so that they have flexibility with their number sense. Decomposing numbers is something our kiddos need to be able to do with automaticity at a conceptual level. It is also critical to kiddos being successful later with concepts like place value, multiplication, division, area, and higher level problem solving. It provides kiddos with the foundation they need to understand addition, subtraction, and how they relate to each other. It is based on part-part-whole relationships, and it is a critical piece in developing number sense. It depends on the conceptual understanding that any number can be represented in parts. When a second grader is struggling with place value, a third grader is struggling with multiplication, or a fourth grader is struggling with finding area, there is one common factor that was probably missed during the early years: decomposing numbers.ĭecomposing numbers is the ability to break a number into smaller parts. But then, years down the road, the very same kids who mastered all of those basic skills in pre-k, kinder, and 1st grade are now struggling in math and no one understands why. And depending on the age you teach, addition and subtraction are probably on that list as well. We know that we need to teach things like colors, shapes, numbers, counting, sorting, patterning, and graphing. In the world of early childhood math, there are some things most of us know.