Workshop: Addition

Compare Addition Strategies. Refer students to the Palindromes and Addition Practice section of the Palindrome Recording Chart pages in the Student Activity Book. Ask students to solve Questions A–F and to think about which strategy they choose to use for each problem. As students work, ask them to explain their thinking. It may be useful for students to make a table similar to the table in Figure 3.

When students have completed the problems, discuss their choice of strategies. Some strategies are better suited for addition with larger numbers, while some strategies become very cumbersome when adding larger numbers. It is sometimes more efficient to solve problems mentally and sometimes more efficient to use paper-and-pencil methods. Start to point these out in this discussion. See the Sample Dialog for a discussion using additional example problems.

Set Up the Workshop. Review the organization of the Workshop by skimming the Strategies to Add pages in the Student Activity Book. This Workshop is divided into three sections that address Expectations as shown in Figure 4. (Minis of the Student Activity Book pages not shown here are in the Answer Key.)

Choose Targeted Practice. Students begin each section by first answering the Self-Check Questions, either individually or with partners. These questions serve two purposes. First, they clearly communicate the content of the related targeted practice to students. Second, they help students quickly self-assess their progress with the Expectations to help them choose which problems to work on in the Workshop.

After students complete the Self-Check Questions in a section, discuss each of the questions with the whole class. Ask students to share their solutions and explain their reasoning. Facilitate a class discussion of students' solutions. Next, have students think about each question in the left-hand column of the menu following the Self-Check Questions. Ask students to review their work on the Self-Check Questions to decide which problems to choose from the following groups:

1. Students who are “working on it” and need some extra help should circle the problem set marked with a triangle (). These problems provide scaffolded support for developing the essential underlying concepts as well as some opportunities for practice.
2. Students who are “getting it” and just need more practice should circle the problem set marked with a circle (). These problems mainly provide opportunities to practice with some concept reinforcement and some opportunities for extension.
3. Students who have “got it” and are ready for a challenge or extension should circle problems marked with a square (). These problems provide some practice and then move into opportunities for extension.

Check students' choices to see how well they match your own assessment of their progress on the related Expectations. Help students make selections that will provide the kind of practice they need.

Once students select questions to complete in a section of the Workshop, match groups of students who have chosen similar sets of problems from the menu. Have students work with their groups to solve the problems they choose. Again, flexibility is important. If problems seem either too easy or difficult for students, they should adjust their choices from the menu.

After the first few groups of students have completed their selected problems (but before all students have completed their problems), introduce the next section to the whole class. See the Meeting Individual Needs box. Again, have students try the Self-Check Questions, discuss solutions, and choose problems from the menu with your guidance. Follow this pattern through all three sections on the Strategies to Add pages in the Student Activity Book.