Align two different-colored pieces of construction paper in a horizontal row on the chalkboard. These pieces represent the tens and ones places. Tape the paper to the chalkboard.
Write "tens" at the top of the left-hand piece of construction paper and "ones" at the top of the right-hand one. Underline each word.
Draw a long vertical rectangle on the "tens" paper and 15 circles on the "ones" paper.
Show your struggling students how to "shift" 10 of the circles from the ones column over to the tens column. Explain that when they start working on addition with regrouping, they will have to know how to shift some numbers to the tens column.
Place foam numerals for 19 and 13 on a table. Position the 19 and 13 in a vertical addition format. Have additional foam numerals for 2 and 1 available nearby.
Ask students to focus on the 9 and the 3 in the ones column. Ask students to add the two numbers. Place a foam 2 under the addition fact. Ask the students, "What happens to the 1?" Then show them how to place the 1 above the 1 in 19. Point out that the 1 is moving into the tens place.
Have students add the two 1's in the tens column. Then direct students' attention to the regrouped 1 above the 1 in 19. Ask a student what the total should be now that the 1 has been moved over to the tens column. The student should be able to answer with "3."