Hamilton's Math Update 9-29-25

We have finished up chapter 4 of our math unit. This week, we will be doing a lot of review over the math units that students still seem to be struggling with. We look forward to sharing all of their progress with you at our upcoming conferences.

Hamilton's Math Update 9-22-25

Dear Family,

In this chapter, your student is adding numbers with sums up to 20. Your student is learning mental math strategies for adding numbers. These strategies are helping your student develop mathematical proficiency and problem solving skills.

The vocabulary words students will review in this chapter are addend, doubles, doubles minus 1, doubles plus 1, and sum.

There are many situations outside of school that you can use to model adding numbers. Shopping is a great place to start! Here are a few ways to help your student practice math skills while you shop.

Model adding three numbers by separating the items in the shopping cart into three groups. Ask your student to count the number of objects in each group. Then ask, “How many are in each group? What is the sum of the three numbers? How can you make a 10 to add the three numbers?”
Show your student the coins you receive as change after paying. Have your student count the coins (10 or fewer). Ask, “How many pennies? Dimes? Nickels? What is the sum if you add these three numbers? What is double that number?”
To model counting on, show your student a number of items. Then tell your student that you need a specific number more (with a total less than 20). For example, “There are 9 apples in the cart. Suppose we pick up 5 more. Count on to find the total number we will have.”
Model other scenarios, making sure to use terms such as “doubles,” “addend,” and “sum.” By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities to practice adding numbers. Enjoy shopping and learning together!

Hamilton's Math Update 9-15-25

We have started our next unit on Addition and Subtraction Situations.

In this chapter, your student is continuing to learn more about addition and subtraction, and the relationship between these operations. The lessons address solving for a missing addend, finding the missing part of a subtraction equation, finding the missing whole of a subtraction equation, and writing fact families. Students will also solve compare word problems when given how many more or how many fewer, and will determine whether equations are true or false.

The vocabulary words associated with this chapter are: bar model and fact family.

There are many situations at home that you can use to practice modeling addition and subtraction. Playing games is a great place to start! The maximum sum of objects for any activity in this chapter is 10.

When playing a game together, use the following strategies:

To practice fact families, have your student roll two number cubes and find the sum. If the sum is greater than 10, have your student re-roll the highest number cube. Then, ask your student to determine the sum and list the facts of the fact family for the numbers shown on the cubes and their sum. For example, “You rolled a 3 and a 4. What is the sum? What equations are in the fact family whose parts are 3 and 4 and whose whole is 7?”
Show your student the number of game pieces currently on a game board. Ask, “How many more would we need to make 10?”
To practice comparing numbers, use a deck of playing cards or number cards. Each of you show one card (as when playing “War”) and ask, “How many fewer (or more) is my number than yours? If the next card is 5 fewer than your number, what is it?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities to use addition and subtraction contexts while playing games together, such as making fact families with the dots on dominoes, comparing how many more red than black checkers are left on the board, or finding how many more are needed to make 10 when the spinner lands on a certain number.

Have a great time playing games together!

Hamilton's Math Update 9-8-25

We are finishing up Chapter 2 this week and take our end of chapter test Tuesday. Our next unit is Addition and Subtraction Situations.

In this chapter, your student is continuing to learn more about addition and subtraction, and the relationship between these operations. The lessons address solving for a missing addend, finding the missing part of a subtraction equation, finding the missing whole of a subtraction equation, and writing fact families. Students will also solve compare word problems when given how many more or how many fewer, and will determine whether equations are true or false.

The vocabulary words associated with this chapter are: bar model and fact family.

There are many situations at home that you can use to practice modeling addition and subtraction. Playing games is a great place to start! The maximum sum of objects for any activity in this chapter is 10.

When playing a game together, use the following strategies:

To practice fact families, have your student roll two number cubes and find the sum. If the sum is greater than 10, have your student re-roll the highest number cube. Then, ask your student to determine the sum and list the facts of the fact family for the numbers shown on the cubes and their sum. For example, “You rolled a 3 and a 4. What is the sum? What equations are in the fact family whose parts are 3 and 4 and whose whole is 7?”
Show your student the number of game pieces currently on a game board. Ask, “How many more would we need to make 10?”
To practice comparing numbers, use a deck of playing cards or number cards. Each of you show one card (as when playing “War”) and ask, “How many fewer (or more) is my number than yours? If the next card is 5 fewer than your number, what is it?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities to use addition and subtraction contexts while playing games together, such as making fact families with the dots on dominoes, comparing how many more red than black checkers are left on the board, or finding how many more are needed to make 10 when the spinner lands on a certain number.

Have a great time playing games together!

Hamilton's Math Update 9-2-25

Last week, we started looking at fluency and strategies within 10. This week, we will continue unit 2.

In this chapter, your student is learning various strategies to add and subtract within 10. The lessons address adding and subtracting 0 and 1, using doubles to find sums, and adding or subtracting by using a number line to count on or count back.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: count back, count on, doubles, doubles minus 1, doubles plus 1, and number line.

You can use many situations in your home to practice addition and subtraction strategies. The maximum sum of objects for any activity in this chapter is 10. This aligns well with many daily household activities.

Look for situations to use the following strategies:

To practice adding or subtracting 0 or 1, point out a number of objects, such as plates on the dinner table. Ask your student to count the number of plates. Then ask, “What if 1 more guest joined us for dinner? How many plates would we need? What if 1 person was not home for dinner tonight? How many plates would we need? How many plates would we need if no one else joined us?”
To practice adding doubles, point out sets that each have the same number, from 1 to 5. Then have your student find the total. For example, “I bought 4 blueberry muffins and 4 carrot muffins. How many muffins are there in all?” To review doubles plus 1 and doubles minus 1, point out sets in which one set has an additional item. For example, “There are 4 bananas and 5 apples in the fruit bowl. What doubles plus 1 fact can you use to find the total number of pieces of fruit? What doubles minus 1 fact can you use?”
Practice adding and subtracting using “count on” and “count back.” For example, “There are 4 of your socks and 2 of my socks in the laundry basket. Can you count on from 4 to find the total number of socks?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities in daily life to use addition and subtraction contexts.

Have a great time practicing addition and subtraction strategies together!

Hamilton's Math Update 8-25-25

Last week, we wrapped up unit 1 and will start unit 2, looking at fluency and strategies within 10.

In this chapter, your student is learning various strategies to add and subtract within 10. The lessons address adding and subtracting 0 and 1, using doubles to find sums, and adding or subtracting by using a number line to count on or count back.

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: count back, count on, doubles, doubles minus 1, doubles plus 1, and number line.

You can use many situations in your home to practice addition and subtraction strategies. The maximum sum of objects for any activity in this chapter is 10. This aligns well with many daily household activities.

Look for situations to use the following strategies:

To practice adding or subtracting 0 or 1, point out a number of objects, such as plates on the dinner table. Ask your student to count the number of plates. Then ask, “What if 1 more guest joined us for dinner? How many plates would we need? What if 1 person was not home for dinner tonight? How many plates would we need? How many plates would we need if no one else joined us?”

To practice adding doubles, point out sets that each have the same number, from 1 to 5. Then have your student find the total. For example, “I bought 4 blueberry muffins and 4 carrot muffins. How many muffins are there in all?” To review doubles plus 1 and doubles minus 1, point out sets in which one set has an additional item. For example, “There are 4 bananas and 5 apples in the fruit bowl. What doubles plus 1 fact can you use to find the total number of pieces of fruit? What doubles minus 1 fact can you use?”

Practice adding and subtracting using “count on” and “count back.” For example, “There are 4 of your socks and 2 of my socks in the laundry basket. Can you count on from 4 to find the total number of socks?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities in daily life to use addition and subtraction contexts.

Have a great time practicing addition and subtraction strategies together!

Hamilton's Math Update 8-18-25

Math:

Last week, we did some pre-assessments and started unit 1. We will wrap up our unit this week and take our first end-of-unit assessment on Thursday.

In this chapter, your student is learning about addition and subtraction. The addition lessons address joining objects of the same type and putting together groups of similar objects. The subtraction lessons address removing objects from a group, or comparing two groups to find how many fewer or how many more.

The vocabulary words associated with this chapter are: add, more, plus, minus, fewer, equals, equation, part, and whole.

There are many situations at home that you can use to model addition and subtraction. The kitchen is a great place to start! The maximum sum of objects for any activity in this chapter is 9. This aligns well with many cooking recipes.

When preparing part of a meal or baking goods, use the following strategies:

To model addition, separate the tomatoes, carrots, eggs, cups, or other food objects you are using for a recipe into two groups. Ask your student to count the number of objects in each group. Then ask, “How many are in each group? How many are there in all when I join the groups together?”
Show your student the number of objects you currently have to make a food item. Then tell your student that you need a certain number of these objects (9 or fewer) for the recipe. Ask, “How many more do I need?”
To model subtraction, show your student the number of objects (9 or fewer) you currently have. Then tell your student that you need a specific number of the objects (fewer than the given group) for the recipe. Ask, “How many fewer do I need?”
Model other scenarios, making sure to use terms such as “take away,” “join,” and “difference.”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to think of other opportunities related to cooking to use addition and subtraction contexts, such as buying items at a grocery store.

Have a great time in the kitchen!

Mrs. Hamilton's Math Update 8-11-25

Math: Last week, we did some pre-assessments and started unit 1.