Category: Math Chats

A great way to get kids engaging with number sense is with the Number Sense Routine called “I Have You Need.” You provide a number and the students find the compliment to that number that could make it equal to 10, 100, 1000, etc. For example, “I have 86, you need _____[14].” This is a fast and easy way to build fluency! Math teacher extraordinaire, Michelle Chu, says she uses this strategy whenever her class is lined up and they have a couple minutes to spare!

Check out this video of a teacher doing this activity with her class on Pam Harris’ Math Blog here. (Scroll down a ways until you see the heading “I Have You Need”

 

Some tips for this strategy:

-Start with numbers closer to your goal number first. Then gradually work your way farther away. Ex. I have 85, I have 70, I have 60, I have 40 , I have 25.

-Then work your way into numbers that aren’t multiples of 5 or 10. For example, I have 67, I have 38, etc

Asking students to consider “Which One Doesn’t Belong” offers students a variety of opportunities to use mathematical reasoning. The best part? There are multiple answers! Check out the WODB website here

 

“Numeracy, at its heart, is using mathematical relationships to reason with numbers and numerical concepts.” – Pam Harris

According to Harris, Numeracy consists of Accuracy, Flexibility, Algorithms, Speed, Mental, Efficiency, and Creativity Sophistication, Cleverness and Elegance. She suggests using a math warm up daily to get kids to begin to understand these mathematical relationships. The example in the photo is of a Number String. She suggests prompting the students with these questions one at a time in this order to help them begin to understand the “Addition Over” strategy.