Make the trade with blocks
Give kids base ten blocks for 38 + 25. They put the ones together, see 13 cubes, and trade ten of them for a rod. Have them say "trade" out loud every time. After building it, the carried 1 makes total sense.
Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.
Try it withDouble Digit Addition With Regrouping Worksheet PackWorksheetsOpen it →


















