The AL Abacus is double-sided, with colored beads in groups of five and 10 for quick counting on one side while the reverse side teaches the concept of place value: tens, hundreds, thousands. It provides a visual picture of math basics without having to count with piles of small objects. To illustrate the addition of two amounts, such as six plus five, move six beads to one side of the abacus and put your finger after them. Then, move five more beads over. Remove the finger and add the amounts by pushing the beads together. Repeat with other combinations.
This is a simple card game for young children learning combinations that add up to 10. You will need several sets of basic number cards, numbered 1 through 9. Shuffle the cards and give five to each player. Place the remaining cards in a pile called the "dump." Children check their cards and place any two that equal 10 in front of them. The first player asks another player if he has a particular card needed to make 10. If not, the first player draws a card from the "dump." The game continues until all cards have been paired. The player with the most pairs wins.
Give your preschooler or kindergartner 55 wooden tally sticks and number cards 1 through 10. Suggest completing this activity on the floor because it requires room to spread out. The object is to compare groups of sticks to the number value of each card. Lay the cards in ascending order, left to right or top to bottom. Gather the number of tally sticks representing each card and place them below or next to the card with the corresponding value. When finished, all 55 sticks will have been used.
If you don't have the RightStart™ math kit, you can use Popsicle or craft sticks. Begin by laying out four sticks slightly apart from each other. Show the children how to make five by laying another stick across the four, as you would when tallying large amounts. Work up to 10 and start a second row. Demonstrate how the children can solve a simple addition problem without counting. Lay out seven sticks to demonstrate four plus three. Ask if they can see the solution without counting, by first making a set of five sticks. Continue until understanding is clear, then let them practice combinations on their own.