Addition already?

Yesterday, I introduced Aikman to the bank game. For those of you who aren't familiar with Montessori math practices, it is similar to taking pennies to the bank, and exchanging it for different coins. For instance, if you have 10 units, you exchange it for a ten-bar (a long tens unit), and if you have 10 ten-bars, then you exchange it for a hundreds square.

Please note that we don't use Montessori bead materials, as Aikman doesn't like the beads. Instead, we use Math-U-See blocks --green units, blue ten-bars, and red hundred squares... which also match the Montessori colors for place values.

Today, Aikman drew a snowman, and put the numbers of 4 and 7 inside of his belly. He then came to me and asked, "Mom, what is 4 plus 7?"

WHAT?? Really?? My son WANTS to add? Oh, NO..... is the multiplication before reading joke coming true? (I know... I know... I still have to post the "Sound it Out" series I mentioned in that post... which IS coming soon, I promise!)

Anyways, I went with his lead, and we laid out our little unit blocks, and then talked about how addition is putting all of the blocks together, and then recounting them. Since, we already played the bank game, he LOVED that there was a connection with exchanging 10 units with a ten-bar -- just like yesterday. You can see him in the above photo counting out 10 blocks, and is about to exchange it for a blue ten-bar, which is in the pencil box there to the left. Yesterday, I had not introduced the label cards with the bank game, so today was perfect timing for showing how the label cards work with exchanging the values. (ie 12 = 1 blue ten-bar + 2 green units = 10 label card + 2 label card = 12 when you put the two label cards on top of one another)

One more note: I haven't done a 3 period lesson on the plus and equal symbols, so I didn't want to introduce formal "written" problems to him yet.

For now, I think we'll keep working on the bank game, as he is still working on reading 3 digit numbers, and I'll probably go ahead and start with some simple addition problems with manipulatives, like this fun game, and possibly even move into 2 and 3 digit addition using the blocks and the addition downloads found at this website. (At this stage, I won't be asking him to memorize addition facts; only to manipulate blocks to get the answer.)

Oh, and don't forget that Montessori Print Shop is still hosting their 12 Days of Giveaways. Yesterday's giveaway, which is still open, is for math supplies; today's giveaway is for Peace makers and Art cards. Likewise, Montessori For Everyone is having a giveaway for a set of geometric solids AND four $25 gift certificates!