Sample Lesson: Eva
Eva was 7 years and 8 months at the time that this video was made.
The Problem
You had 3 candies and then Rose gave you some more. You then had 8
candies. How many candies did Rose give you?
What To Look For In This Video
- Although this is a subtraction problem, Eva's strategy for solving it is to think "how many candies do I need to add to the 3 that I started with in order to have 8 altogether." (I try to support children's own strategies rather than impose my way of thinking about problems.)
- Eva represents the problem with objects, but she doesn't actually count them. She relies on facts that she knows (3 + 3 = 6, 3 + 6 = 9, 9 - 1 = 8, 6 - 1 = 5) and her ability to reason.
- That kind of reasoning is what I call a "shortcut," or a "strategy," or an "argument." It is an example of doing mathematics and that is what I think children should be learning to do.