Activities to Teach Students to Add Doubles – With Models
As a teacher, introducing basic math concepts in a fun and interactive way is essential to creating a strong foundation for students’ understanding. Adding doubles is an important concept for students to learn as it establishes an understanding of mental math and can aid in overall addition proficiency.
Here are a few activities that educators can use to teach students about adding doubles with the support of models:
1. Using Dice and Subitizing
Subitizing refers to recognizing numbers without counting. A fun activity to introduce adding doubles would be to use dice and allow students to subitize the numbers represented on each die. After rolling the dice, ask students to add the two numbers together, representing each die using manipulatives such as colored chips or blocks. Reinforce the skill by asking students to explain how they know the sum represents a double. For example, if a student rolls two fours, they can easily identify that 4+4=8 because they recognize the two sets of four as being doubles.
2. Double Bracelets
For a more hands-on activity, teachers could provide each student with two different colored beads and string to make “double bracelets”. After students have their beads on their string, ask them to count each set of double beads and write down the sum. They can then share their results with a partner.
3. Addition War with Card Models
For a group activity, create cards representing doubles up to five. Each card should have a small model representation that will allow students to visualize the doubles. Play addition war with the cards by splitting students into pairs and asking them to shuffle the cards, pick one card each, and add the doubles together. The student with the largest double wins the cards. The game can continue until one student has all the cards or until time runs out. This game helps students build their addition skills while incorporating models to aid in understanding.
4. Double Bean Bags
Lastly, for a kinesthetic activity, teachers can create beanbags with double numbers on them. This activity can be modified for different age ranges. For younger students, simply ask them to pick up two bags, identify the doubles, and say the sum out loud. For older students, they can toss two beanbags, add the doubles represented, and then toss the sum to a partner.
In conclusion, using models to reinforce the concept of adding doubles is an effective method to help students learn this skill. By introducing the concept in a fun and interactive way, educators can create an engaging learning experience that will help students excel in math. These activities encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and math fluency while providing clear visual representations that support students’ comprehension.