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Hi everyone!

My younger DS has been doing some reviews in Singapore 1A this week and is struggling with the concept of number bonds, in addition to adding and subtracting. I am having him use a number line as needed, but sometimes he doesn't even know where to start without my direction. We have had a few crying meltdowns over the last week or so. Any thoughts/ideas of how to make this not so frustrating to him? I am not a math person, so I am not very creative in presenting concepts in a way that is easier for him to understand and need all the help I can get!

Thanks in advance for your help!

What is number bonds? I just don't know the term, I'm sure we know the concept we just got through Singapore 1A.

As for addition and subtraction - the problems are getting harder in there aren't they? My DD is very comfortable with the 1-10 ones but the higher ones are harder. I let her use counters - we have teddy bear counters but we've also used buttons and things like that. Just anything they can count out the number then add on however many more or subtract however many. I also showed her how to make lines for the counts - she wanted to draw pictures of the things like it does in the book and it was taking forever! Sets of 5 so you can keep better track of how many there are - though in Singapore they like the kids to group by 10s so you could have him do that too.

The number line, while my DD can do it, isn't the easiest visualization tool for her. Counting out objects works a lot better. Also if he's very upset maybe take the pressure off. I have one DD who gets very upset if she gets something wrong and has to do it again, or if she is overwhelmed and doesn't think she can do it. I just tell her "you are learning and you are doing it, you just have to keep trying." See if you can try to take the pressure off him somehow so he feels better about it. I hope you figure out how to help him!

Hi!! My DD7 is almost done with 1a and I think number bonds are the triangle box things where it has 2 numbers and u have to figure out the third??? Anyway, I was also going to suggest counters! Anything could work, pennies, cheerios . . . We use poker chips most of the time.
(Why we have poker chips, idk! We r not gamblers). Anyway, my DD did her math on the kitchen floor one day using crayons as counters! Also, I do have to sit with DD most of the time and read the problem with her and basically help her get started. She too, got overwhelmed easily if I wasn't right there with her. At first I really thought becuz my DD reading level is advanced that she would be able to read the questions, look at the pictures and do the problems but no, I really have to be with her. In a number bond I would say, "so we have a 12 and a 8, what should the other number be?" And follow that up with, "well if u have 8 then how many more up to 12." Hope something here helps!!

I just had my ds6 do number bonds this week.

I am a math person, and I don't tend to do number lines with my kids. My oldest developed a number line (I think) in his head, but it wasn't through doing one; it was through SIngapore.

So number bonds:

At this stage I give A LOT of help. Math is a fairly new idea to my 6 year old. Addition has been exposed, but this is his first time really doing it.
So I point out that the top box added to the bottom box adds up to the box the two lines point towards. If there are pictures, we use the counting of the pictures to fill in the boxes. Once the pictures go away I bring out any object that can be counted to show the addition, as needed. It isn't always needed, but it can be. Certainly with new addition problems it can be needed. I also might bring out the math manipulative I bought from Math U See with the intention of using them with Singapore (great manipulative).

For example, I often will hand him the five pens (sister is using to color with at the table) and then two pens and have him count all 7 to get to the answer of 7. Then we fill in the number bonds and repeat out-loud 5 + 2 = 7. The number bonds are really there to show you and the student that two items added together comes to equal a new number of items. So I really do help a lot in Singapore 1A. It is how I taught my oldest, and he is a whiz at math. So the help didn't hurt him, it taught him how to think about the problems as he learned how I think about the problems. I think he learned a lot from just hearing me talk through the process.

My ds6 is only a few weeks into Singapore 1A, so his number bonds still have pictures. If I remember correctly though the pictures go away and I remember counting a lot of pens and toy cars with my oldest for Singapore 1A.

I hope this helps.

Great ideas here! I'll just add that I go back and look for the hands-on lesson HOD planned for the concepts my dc may need some extra practice on, and we redo the hands-on part for the segment of the review it matches. I partner along with my dc for their math reviews as needed. They cover many, many concepts, so lending some help in the form of reminders of how we learned the skill in the first place provides the nudge they may need to be able to succeed. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

I've found that while I like the idea of number bonds, they just confuse my daughter. I read on another forum that the bonds are just another method to help kids learn the facts, so we've basically gone back to just learning them like 4+5=9, 5+4=9, 9-4=5, 9-5=4 written that way instead of using the number bond format. It's still teaching the same thing without the bond format, and she just likes it better that way. Maybe you could try switching to a different format that works for your child and see how it goes.

Thanks so much, everyone!!! I used some of your suggestions and I think they are helping some! I will try some more of them after the Christmas break!