While I've touched on the concept a little here and there, she's never solved an entire page of subtraction problems where you have to borrow.
Like: 26-18= ?
Just looking at the filled page of subtraction problems (that had a new twist) was overwhelming to her.
Understandably so, since I was a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out how to help her press through her "I can't do this" mentality.
When I was in second grade, I remember my teacher telling us a little story to help with the process (let's use the below math problem for the story).26
-18
"Eight went to Six to ask for some apples. But Six didn't have enough. So Six had to walk next door to see if her neighbor, Two, had any extra.
(teacher walked her fingers next door...across the blackboard... and made a knocking sound. I remember thinking that was soooo cool!)
"Can I borrow some apples please? I don't have enough for my friend, Eight."
So Two gave up some apples and became a 1, making the 6 a 16. Allowing Sixteen to give Eight some apples."
I know, it sounds so silly. but for some reason, this acting out of the whole process stuck with me.
To the degree that for years afterwards, whenever I would have to borrow during subtraction, I would mentally do this story in my head.
And even though I told this story to Charis and she "got it"...she still didn't understand why the 4 just didn't become a 5....instead of a 14.
So I had to get creative.
See these pencils? They represent the number 26.
The groups of pencils are two groups of ten. They can not be separated. Thus, when "Two" gives up one...she's really giving up one group of ten.
Get it? ;)
Well, Hallelujah, Charis did!!
And she was able to finish, for the first time, an entire page of subtraction problems where borrowing came into play. Getting only two wrong.
I'm definitely seeing that she does better when she can see the "why" behind the concept...in a concrete way.
"Children aged 5 through 7 usually need concrete objects; children aged 8 through 10 shift into 'mental image' mode."
Excerpt from 'The Well-Trained Mind' by Susan Wise Bauer
