Oh boy! Adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping is a doozy! ha ha. In Second Grade, this is the unit that makes most of us cringe. Actually, SUBTRACTING 3-digit numbers is worse, but that makes most of us want to quit. Teaching 7-year-olds how and why to regroup can be an absolute beast! LOL But, my students are usually so happy to finally get “here”. They get to do “Big Kids Math” and they are just over the moon about it!
Teaching “New Math”
Our county went to Standards-Based report cards this past year. We teach Common Core State Standards, too. As you can imagine, it puts a little added pressure on. However, the great thing is that it gives you an opportunity to teach the “why” behind numbers and grow their number sense. In all sincerity, it is a gift to stretch them, challenge my sweet students, and to see them grow on so many levels. Adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping is definitely one of those skills that students need a lot of time to experience.
Needing Digital Resources
When we transitioned into remote learning because of COVID19, I realized that my students needed digital resources to practice with. By this time, we were in a new unit of math, but I knew that this was an area that we still really needed to practice. If we had still been in the classroom together, we would have continued to practice adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping until the end of the school year.
I purchased some resources for my students for creating and interpreting arrays. Then, I decided to make digital task cards for adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping myself. It took some time to make them. As I shared, this was my very first digital resource. My sloth-like pace was part having no idea what I was doing and part frozen by fear. Just being honest about it, I was way out of my element and comfort zone. I spent time Googling and YouTubing to try to make sure that things were going the way that they were supposed to go. Looking back, I laugh at myself now, but at the time, it was a situation.
Practice Makes Permanent
This is a comment that one of my Teacher Friends says all of the time. Muscle memory is probably the best way to translate her favorite sayings. One of the best things that we can do is to give our kids time to practice skills like regrouping. They really need as much time as we can offer just interacting with numbers. I don’t know that they always have those opportunities to see the numbers, feel the numbers, imagine the numbers, create the numbers, or manipulate the numbers. Early learning skills are important. More time to interact with numbers and explore them at home and in school, especially in the earliest days, is so crucial.
3-Digit Addition Task Cards Were Born
The 3-digit addition with regrouping activity that I created for Google Slides gives students the opportunity to practice the skill of adding 3-digit numbers to 3-digit numbers when regrouping is necessary. It isn’t timed so students have the opportunity to work at their own pace. They also don’t have to complete every problem at one time. You can decide which problems they solve, or you can give them the liberty of choosing which slides they want to complete.
I would have students use whiteboards or their math journals to work through the problems. That way you can see their thinking and how they saw the numbers in each problem.
Having a digital record of students’ practice on adding 3-digit numbers with regrouping is also great for:
- differentiation
- student-led goal setting
- RTI
- progress monitoring
- practicing this skill anywhere that a device is accessible
- Creating small groups for practice, remediation, and acceleration
- for student-led or report card conferences
2-Digit Addition with Regrouping Digital Task Cards
I created a set of digital task cards for 2-digit addition with regrouping shortly thereafter. Students that weren’t quite ready for 3-digits could practice this skill at a level that might be more appropriate for their readiness. I actually learned something new myself as I was working on this second set.
Instead of adding a text box with the words “Type text here” in it, I added color to the text boxes to show students where to type. This way, students wouldn’t have to be taught to delete the text before adding their answers. I love that! Disclaimer: It was not my original idea, a fellow creator shared that tip in a group that I belong to. It was a generous offering of information!
The 3-Digit Addition With Regrouping Digital Task Cards set has a total of 21 problems. 15 of the problems require students to regroup and 6 of the problems do not require regrouping. The task cards are created for Google Slides and require students to have a Gmail (Google email account) to interact with them. The 2-Digit Addition Digital Task Cards set has 13 task cards for students to interact with. Math can be fun for students!
I hope that this week is full of blessings beyond your wildest dreams!
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