Introducing Place Value - Tens and Ones Game

After introducing the place value chart (PVC), we mixed it up a little with a fun 'game'.

Lesson:  Place Value Game

Objective:  Child will recognize the value of digits in two-digit numbers.

Materials:  PVC chart.  Base-10 blocks.  Squares of paper with 1 - 20 written on them.  White board.  Dry erase marker.

Process:

1. Review place value by filling in the PVC chart, from 1 to 20.  Let child be the 'teacher', and tell you how many ones and 10s to put in each place.

2.  Draw a PVC chart on the white board.  Shuffle the number cards, and instruct child to pick one.  

3.  Guide child in re-writing the number on her white board PVC chart.  

4.  Say, "How many ones are in your number?  How many tens?"  Instruct child to count out the appropriate number of one units and 10-sticks, and place them on the PVC chart.

5.  Have child pick another number card, and repeat the process.  

Oops!  If she makes a mistake (and even if she doesn't), have her re-count the units in order make sure she got it right.  Practice self-check habits now, so that they will be instinctive later on!  (Algebra, anyone?)

Oooo, that's better!

Introducing Place Value - Tens and Ones (pt 2)

I'm debating as to whether Sophie is ready for this, or not.  I am beginning to think it might be a little over her head - either that, or she's decided she doesn't want to do it, and is resisting me.  That's the problem with schooling your own child - the parent/child dynamics sometimes get in the way!  (Hence, the pouty face in the pics)  I've decided to press on for a few more weeks, however, and see if she 'gets it'.  If it continues to not sink in, I'll move on and come back to place value when she's a little older.

Lesson:  Introducing Place Value - Tens and Ones

Objective:  Student will recognize the value of two-digit numbers

Materials:  T-Chart from last lesson.  Base-10 blocks.  Writing utensil.

Process:

1. Review from last time, filling in your chart from '1' to '10'.  
2. Instruct child to count out 11 one units.  Line up a 10-stick next to the units.

3.  Point out that the 10-stick is the same as 10 one units, and substitute the 10 stick for the one units.  

4.  Put the 10 stick in the 'T' column, and the one unit in the 'O' column.  Say, "How many tens do we have?"  When child answers, "1", put a 1 in the 'T' column.  Say, "How many ones do we have?"  When child answers, "1", put a 1 in the 'O' column.  Then recount to reinforce that you do have '11'.  

5.  Repeat the process, going up to 20.  

Notice the better attitude in the last picture!  We quit at around 13, and came back to it later.  It's still a pretty advanced concept for her, I can tell, but frankly, it's good for her to be challenged.  Most things come pretty quickly to Sophie, and it's good for her to not understand something, and have to press through the frustration in order to figure it out.  I'm walking a fine line here between challenging her, and pushing too hard.  

Introducing Place Value - Tens and Ones

After a week of practice with the Base 10 blocks, Sophie had skip counting by 10's down.  It's now time to move on to place value, or, the understanding of what's in between 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50.

Lesson:  Introducing Tens and Ones Place Value

Objective:  Student will recognize the value of digits in two-digit numbers.

Materials:  Paper.  Glue / tape (to connect papers if you need a longer chart).  Crayons/markers/pen.  Base 10 blocks.

Process:  

1. Draw a T-chart on a piece of paper.  Label one side 'T' and one side, 'O'.  Explain to child that the 'T' stands for 'Tens', and the 'O' stands for 'Ones'.
2. Instruct child to count one unit, and place it on the 'O' side of the chart.  Ask child, "How many ones do we have?"  When child answers, "One", write a '1' next to it (I wrote in a different color, so it would stand out).
3. Instruct child to count two units, and place them on the 'O' side of the chart beneath the 1.  Ask child, "How many ones do we have?"  When child answers, "Two", write a '2' next to them.  
4. Instruct child to count three units, and place them on the 'O' side of the chart beneath the 2.  Ask child, "How many ones do we have?"  When child answers, "Three", write a '3' next to them.  

5.  When you get to 10, instruct child to count 10 units.  When she does, ask, "How else can you show, '10'?"  Get a 10-stick, and line it up next to the 10 one units.  Agree that they show the same amount.  

6.  Discard the 10 one units, and say, "This is one 10.  It doesn't go in the Ones place.  It goes in the Tens place."  Move the 10-stick to the Tens column.  

7.  Ask child, "Now how many ones do we have?"  Write a '0' in the Ones column.  Ask, "How many tens do we have?"  Write a '1' in the Tens column. 

By this time, Sophie was tired out.  She saw that we had just written, '10', but it was a new concept, and shut down on me.  I stopped the lesson here, and will continue repeat the process several times this week until it's easy for her to change from one units to 10-sticks.  

Counting By 10's With Base 10 Blocks

I love, love, LOVE Base 10 blocks.  So simple, so diverse, so easy to use from beginning counting all the way up to multi-digit multiplication and division.  It follows that I LOVE my library, because it provides a set of Base 10 blocks patrons can check out - free!

Lesson:  Skip Counting By 10's

Objective:  Child will identify groups of units of 10, from 10 to 100.  (two 10's are 20, three 10's are 30, etc)

Materials:  A set of Base 10 blocks (1's and 10's).  Sticky notes.  Marker / pen.

Process:

1. Review that 10 one units equal one 10-stick
2. Write '10' on a sticky note.  Child matches one 10-stick to the sticky note.  (If you put the sticky note on the table 'upside down', it will stand up facing you like a little flag)
3. Write '20' on a sticky note.  Child matches two 10-sticks to the sticky note
4. Repeat the process until you get to 100.  
5. Keep reviewing as you add each number, encourage child to guess what comes next.  Point out the pattern:  '10' has a '1', and uses one 10-stick.  '20' has a '2', and uses two 10-sticks.  '30' has a '3', and uses three 10-sticks, etc. 

And here's how Xander kept himself occupied.

One 10-stick was the bad guy.  It kept knocking all the other 10-sticks off the table.  

One last observation:  I love that none of us has to be really dressed in the morning before we start school. Sophie's garment of choice (in case you haven't noticed in the last posts) is a bathing suit.  Xander goes by the philosophy of less clothing is more.  And I just like having less laundry to do at the end of the day.