Composing and Decomposing Primary Activities

Primary mathematicians first model “put together” and “take apart” situations using concrete objects, drawings, etc. These concepts are then expanded to composing and decomposing numbers additively. A connection to students’ prior work with building sets is important as students are developing fluencies with their addition and subtractions facts.

Children need many opportunities to experience these situations. Incorporating seasonal manipulatives allows children to practice these mathematical ideas in a contextual setting. To effectively facilitate these activities, be sure to cover the common addition and subtraction situations found in Table 1, CCSSM, page 88.

Nine seasonal and topical activities are included. Color masters are provided for both tables for each of the activities, the seasonal objects as well as the counters. Hyperlinks are also provided for manipulatives when applicable.

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