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My dd is having a hard time processing tens and ones. If I talk her through them, she will get the answer, but I don't think she is really grasping it. She is doing PM 1B, Beyond Unit 19 Days 2 & 3, so far. Should I not be concerned at this point? She knows how to count the tens, but when we get to the ones, she gets confused and sometimes will keep counting by tens when she gets to the ones. I know I can use dimes and pennies and other items to make groups of tens and ones. But, does anyone have any unique ways of cementing this concept down? I just don't want to move her through each day if she should know it better than she does. I know it's early in the process, but I guess I just need to be reassured. I know the math skills are going to take some time.

I think that it's probably fine. I used to make some circles on a piece of paper. I would put 10 raisins, chocolate chips, skittles, etc. in the circle. Then, I would put a few out of the circle. The ones in the circle were always 10 and the others were ones. I think if you just keep doing it, they eventually get it . Also, I just thought of another one. You could take toothpicks and bundle them together with a rubber band in groups of 10, then the loose toothpicks would be ones. Another thing, I would use a whiteboard to write the answer. Ex: 30 and 5
\ /
35


Edit: My little diagram of how I write it on the whiteboard didn't quite work, so I hope you can understand what I meant there.
HTH
Tracy

Pam, I went back and read your post again, and I see now that you were looking for ways other than grouping them together. Sorry, I'm usually answering the kids questions while I read and type. I'm not sure of any other way to cement the concept. I think they just get it after repeated exposure. Also, I have some MUS blocks that I use sometimes, but they definitely aren't needed.



Tracy

Thanks, Tracy. I know that repeated exposure is necessary. I just thought I'd find out if anyone has done anything unique that may have helped in this area. I guess I get a little nervous when we start working on a new concept and then frustrations surface(in both of us), because I don't know what else to do to help her 'get it' and she almost shuts down because she can't get it. The one day was just an activity and then the next day there were 3 pages. I probably should have spread the pages out, because, by the time we got to the third page, it didn't go very well. We'll just keep practicing.

The way I learned it is kind of corny, but the 1-9's are the children and the 10"s are the Dad's of that family. This was how we learned to skip count by 10 and such. Then when we did place value, they were in a house. Each place value has it's own house. I guess the 100's were grandparents....I really don't remember b/c I think by that point we had all caught on to the pattern.

Tidbits of Learning - Thanks! That sounds like a good idea. I will try that.