1. What are the characteristics of an efficient strategy?

Give an example of a strategy for 6 +

7 that is efficient and give an example that is not efficient. What are some teaching points
that you should keep in mind as you help children develop efficient strategies?

A person using an efficient strategy would be able to successfully perform a task without wasting time or
energy. An efficient strategy for 6 + 7 would be to use Double and One More. This would divide the task into
6 + 6 = 12 and one more is 13. An inefficient strategy for 6 + 7 would be Counting On. The student would start
at 7 and then count on six more, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. This would take more time and energy, and would not be
efficient, even though it would arrive at the same answer.

Efficient strategies are best taught when some basic facts have been learned. For example, after students are
comfortable with combinations with totals of ten, teaching the strategy of Making 10 or using 10 as an anchor
would be appropriate. Using Near-Doubles would be appropriate after teaching Doubles. You should keep in
mind that the facts are not best taught in order, and that some students may be more ready than others to
move on to strategies. You should also keep in mind that using real-world application such as story problems,
along with tools such as a ten-frame, can be helpful in teaching efficient strategies.

2. Here are the ways that five students thought about some addition facts. For each student,
describe where each number in his or her thinking came from and why the strategy works.
Then identify the basic fact strategy for addition being used by each of these students. (a) 9
+ 5: Karen thinks, "Well, 10 and 4 more is 14." (b) 8 + 7: Donald states, "I know that 8 and
8 is 16, so one less is 15." (d) 4 + 8: Amber explains, "Eight and 2 more is 10, so 2 more
gets me to 12." (d) 7 + 5: Roger says, "Five and 5 is 10, then 2 more is 12." (e) 7 + 5:
Alison explains, "Seven and 3 more is 10, then 2 more is 12."

(a) 9 + 5 using 10 and 4 more uses Making 10, also known as Break Apart to Make 10. This
strategy works because it uses 10 as the anchor, and adding a number to the base (or
anchor) of 10 is faster and easier than adding to another number, such as 9.
(b) 8 + 7 using 8 and 8 is 16, so one less is 15. This strategy uses Doubles and One Less Than.
Using doubles increases efficiency, as well as using one less than. Doubles are easier to
remember, possibly because of the patterns. One less than is also a strategy that is usually
easy to master.
(c) 4 + 8 as eight and 2 more is 10, so 2 more gets me 12: also uses Making 10, or BAMT. Making
10 works as a strategy because it simplifies the addition by using 10 as an addend. Adding to
10 is quicker and more efficient.
(d) 7 + 5 as five and 5 is 10, then 2 more is 12: this uses fives as bases, or anchors, and then uses
10 as an anchor. This strategy builds on students knowledge of number relationships, which
helps their reasoning skills and allows them to be more efficient, as well.
(e) 7 + 5 as seven and 3 more is 10, then 2 more is 12: uses Making 10 and then 10 as an anchor.
Again, this builds on knowledge and allows for reasoning skills and efficiency to be built in to
the problem solving method.

3. Here are the ways that four students thought about some subtraction facts. For each
student, describe where each number in his or her thinking came from and why the strategy
works. Then identify the basic fact strategy for subtraction being used by each of these
students. (a) 14 - 9: Dale: "Nine and 1 more is 10, and then 4 more gets me to 14, so 1 and
4 is 5." (b) 15 - 7: Audrey: "I know that 7 and 7 is 14, and 1 more makes 15, so 1 plus 7 is
8." (c) 13 - 5: Jose: "First I took off 3 to get to 10, and then minus 2 more gets me to 8."
(d) 15 - 8: Tamara: "I thought about how far it is from 8 to 15. It takes me 2 to get to 10,
and then 5 more to get to 15, so 2 and 5 is 7."
 (a) 14 – 9 as nine and 1 more is 10, and then 4 more gets me to 14, so 1 and 4 is 5: uses Think-
Addition. This allows the student to use facts that they know, such as numbers that total 10,
and then adding the basic facts.
(b) 15 – 7 as 7 and 7 is 14, and 1 more makes 15, so 1 plus 7 is 8: This uses Think-Addition,
Doubles, and One More Than. Using doubles is an effective strategy because doubles usually
come easier. The same is true with One More Than and Think-Addition. These strategies
make the problem more efficient.
(c) 13 – 5 as took off 3 to get to 10, and then minus 2 more gets me to 8: uses 10 as an anchor, or
Making 10, to do 13 – 3. Then the student used known addition facts (5 = 2 + 3) to know
how much more to subtract. Using 10 as an anchor and known addition facts made this
students strategy effective and efficient.
(d) 15 – 8 seen as how far it is from 8 to 15. It takes 2 to get to 10, and then 5 more to get to 15,
so 2 and 5 is 7: This uses known addition facts for totals of 10, or using 10 as an anchor.
Then it uses known addition facts for 2 and 5 is 7. This makes this student’s strategy
efficient and effective because it draws on known facts and simpler problem solving.

4. When students are not sure of a multiplication fact, you should ask, "If you don't know that
fact, how could you figure it out by using something that you do know?" Describe how you
could guide and question students to use these "helping fact" strategies to solve the listed
facts. (a) Double and Double Again: 4 x 7, 4 x 8 (b) Double and One More Set: 3 x 7, 3 x 3
(c) Half Then Double: 8 x 4, 6 x 6 (d) Add One More Set: 7 x 7, 7 x 8.

(a) You could used Double and Double Again to solve 4 x 7 and 4 x 8. You could first double 7 to
get 14. Then double again 14 and 14 is 28.
The same strategy for 4 x 8 could be to double 8 and 8 to get 16. Then double 16 to get 32.
(b) Double and One More Set to solve 3 x 7: Double 7 gives you 14. Add 7 more to get 21.
To solve 3 x 3: Double 3 gives you six, and then three more gives you 9.
(c) Half Then Double to sole 8 x 4: You can take half of 4 to get 2. Then 2 times 8 is 16. Double
16 is 32.
Half Then Double to solve 6 x 6: You can take half of 6 to get 3. Three times 6 is 18. Then
double 18 to get 36.
(d) Add One More Set for 7 x 7: Use a close fact to do 7 x 6 is 42. Then add one more 7 to get 49.
To do 7 x 8: Use the close fact of 7 x 7 is 49, then add one more 7 to get 56.

5. Describe the thinking that a student should use to solve a problem such as 48 ÷ 6. How would
you as the teacher help to facilitate this type of thinking?

A student can “think multiplication” to solve 48 / 6. As the teacher, you can guide them by saying, “Six times
what number is 48?” This would need to be done after students have learned many of their multiplication
facts and have learned to use multiplication strategies.

6. How do you help children who have been drilling their basic facts for years and still have not
mastered them?

If students have been drilling their basic facts for years and still have not mastered them, it would be very
good to teach them to use strategies. Starting with the basic strategies for addition, and then moving on to
subtraction, multiplication, and then division would allow them to learn to use reasoning instead of relying on
memorization, which is not working for them. Using word problems and manipulatives such as a ten frame
would be helpful in working with this student.