Addition
Using Graphic Organizers for Addition
When children first learn about numbers, they learn number names. In time, children learn to connect the name of each number to the quantity that number represents. They also learn to read and write the symbol for each number. In school, students begin to learn about addition — the process by which groups of objects are combined to make a larger group. At first, they use counting to determine the numbers of objects in each group and in the combined group. With practice, students discover that they can “count up” to reach the sum rather than counting every object each time. Students move on to understanding addition, and they begin to understand that the same numbers when added together will always produce the same sum. A graphic organizer that gives space for all the possible combinations that make one sum helps students understand the process of addition. As students fill in all the possible combinations that make the numbers 2-10, they accomplish several things. First, students begin to memorize the combinations to 10, leading to greater speed and facility in future mathematics exercises. Second, learners can make connections and see patterns because all of the combinations are laid out before them. Graphic organizers help visual learners and others make new connections about addition!
