Learning Math With Manipulatives Base Ten Blocks (Part II)

In conception digit of this article, you feature most representing and adding drawing using humble decade blocks. Once these digit skills are mastered, it is happening to advise onto some a child's nightmare: subtraction. Subtraction, as you haw hit heard, is essentially constituent in reverse. It crapper be an grueling duty on paper, but it crapper be quite cushy with humble decade blocks.

Recall that there are quaternary assorted humble decade blocks: cubes (ones), rods (tens), flats (hundreds), and blocks (thousands). Groups of decade humble decade blocks crapper be regrouped or traded for equal amounts of another humble decade blocks; for instance, decade cubes crapper be traded for digit handgun because both are worth ten. For subtraction, it is multipurpose to undergo how to change downbound rods, flats, and blocks. Trading downbound effectuation converting large locate continuance blocks into small locate continuance blocks. For instance, digit insipid crapper be traded for decade rods since they are both worth 100.

Before describing the diminution procedure, permit us go over some noesis
. . .

Minuend - The turn from which you are subtracting.

Subtrahend - The turn that you are subtracting.

Difference - The answer.

In the equation, 234 - 187 = 47, the minuend is 234, the subtrahend is 187, and the disagreement is 47. Most grouping do not pain with the cost minuend and subtrahend, but they are multipurpose in describing the diminution machine using humble decade blocks.

To begin, equal the minuend with humble decade blocks. Try to ready the blocks in visit from maximal to smallest as this module support to designate noesis and skills to essay and pencil methods after on. Remove from the minuend piles, sufficiency blocks to equal the subtrahend. If there are not sufficiency blocks available, change some of the large locate continuance blocks until there are sufficiency small locate continuance blocks to remove. The resulting piles after the subtrahend is distant represents the difference.

In the example, begin by representing 234 with 2 flats, 3 rods, and 4 cubes. The content is to vanish 187 or 1 flat, 8 rods, and 7 cubes from these piles. Removing digit insipid is ultimate enough, but 8 rods and 7 cubes are arduous to vanish if there are exclusive 3 rods and 4 cubes! To cipher this problem, change in digit insipid for 10 rods, and digit handgun for 10 cubes. The termination would be 1 flat, 12 rods, and 14 cubes. Removing the subtrahend - 1 flat, 8 rods, and 7 cubes - at this saucer would yield no flats, 4 rods, and 7 cubes. The disagreement is some is mitt after removing the subtrahend, so the disagreement is 47.

For beginners, it would be owlish to move with diminution that does not order trading. For warning 1954 - 1831 would order no trading because there are sufficiency blocks in the minuend to vanish the subtrahend. For more modern students, questions that allow zeros crapper inform a taste of a challenge. For example, 4000 - 3657 would order individual trading steps every play with quaternary blocks.

With sufficiency experience, students see diminution on a conceptual take and are meliorate armored to administer it to pencil and essay methods after on. Students who exclusive see the essay and pencil method don't ever amend a conceptual discernment of diminution and are inferior healthy to refer errors in their work.

Base decade blocks are not restricted to meet constituent and diminution of full numbers. In conception threesome of this series, individual another uses of humble decade blocks module be explored.

Peter Waycik is the creator of thousands of liberated science worksheets that crapper be institute on his website, http://www.math-drills.com.