Teaching the doubles plus one strategy to kids

📚 Understanding Doubles Plus One

The 'doubles plus one' strategy is a fantastic way to help kids quickly solve addition problems. It builds upon their knowledge of doubles facts (like 2+2, 5+5, etc.) and adds just one more. The key is to break down the problem into a doubles fact they already know and then add one!

🎯 Objectives

• 🧠 Recognize numbers that are one apart.
• 🔢 Apply known doubles facts to solve 'doubles plus one' problems.
• ➕ Add one more to the doubles fact result.

📝 Materials

• 🎲 Dice: Two dice per student or pair.
• ➕ Counters: Small objects like buttons or blocks.
• 📃 Worksheet: With pre-written 'doubles plus one' problems.
• ✏️ Pencils: For writing answers.

☀️ Warm-up (5 mins)

• 🗣️ Doubles Chant: Recite doubles facts together (1+1=2, 2+2=4, 3+3=6, etc.).
• 🖐️ Finger Flash: Teacher flashes a number of fingers. Students quickly double that number and shout it out.

🧑‍🏫 Main Instruction

1. 💡 Introducing the Concept

   • 🗣️ Explain: "Today we're learning a cool trick! It's called 'doubles plus one'. It helps us solve problems like 3+4 really fast."
   • ➕ Example: "Let's look at 4+5. What doubles fact is close to this? 4+4!"
   • ✍️ Write: On the board, write: $4 + 5 = (4 + 4) + 1$
   • ➗ Solve: "We know 4+4=8, so 4+5 is 8+1, which equals 9!"

2. 🤝 Guided Practice

   • 🎲 Dice Roll: Students roll two dice. If the numbers are one apart (e.g., 2 and 3), they solve the problem using 'doubles plus one'. If not, they roll again.
   • 🧱 Counters: Use counters to physically represent the problem and break it down (e.g., 3+4 becomes 3+3+1).
   • 🗣️ Think Aloud: Teacher solves a few problems aloud, explaining each step clearly.

3. ✍️ Independent Practice

   • 📃 Worksheet: Students complete the worksheet with 'doubles plus one' problems.
   • 🧑‍🏫 Circulate: Teacher walks around, providing support and answering questions.
   • 🔑 Check: Review answers together as a class.

✅ Assessment

• 📝 Observation: Observe students during guided and independent practice.
• ❓ Questioning: Ask students to explain their thinking process.
• 💯 Exit Ticket: Give a short quiz with a few 'doubles plus one' problems. For example:
  1. 3 + 4 = ?
  2. 6 + 7 = ?
  3. 8 + 9 = ?
  4. 2 + 3 = ?
  5. 5 + 6 = ?
  6. 1 + 2 = ?
  7. 4 + 5 = ?