Playdates

Playdate focus

Make a lot of use of “one more” and “one less” to help with the understanding of the number sequence as well as beginning an understanding of addition and subtraction.

Storybook properties

This has counting to 9, one more, one less, and many relationship words.

Activities properties

These involve the ordering of numbers and the use of a number line.

More important than they look

It is tempting to think of these ideas as minor, almost trivial steps. However, the ideas of One More and One Less are early and important steps for adding and subtracting.

Counting up and down

One more and one less are strongly connected to the ideas of the next number and previous number when you are counting up and down. Counting practice with counting both directions will help make it easy for your child to know which number comes next and which number was the previous one.

Adding 1 and taking away 1

Combine these ideas with adding and subtracting by asking questions such as: “How many pebbles do you have now? If I added 1 more, how many would you have? If I took 1 away so you had 1 less, how many would you have?” These are very easy and natural questions to fit into everyday conversation, and your child can talk about them without ever considering that they are doing addition and subtraction.

If you have 3 of something and your child has four of that thing, you can discuss various possibilities. Would you have the same amount if you had one more? Would you have the same amount
if your child has one less. Be playful with the idea. If your numbers are 3 and 5, you can talk about getting one more twice, or about one of you getting one more and the other getting one less.

Extend from 1 to 2

When your child is ready, extend your child’s understanding to what happens when you have two more or two less. There is no hurry to get to this, so please make sure your child first thoroughly understands one more and one less.

Games

With this simple bit of arithmetic, you can start playing some games with adding and subtracting. A very simple one is to play the game of Nim with 1 and 2 using either addition or subtraction. Other games are Get Out of My House and Within 1 or 2