7 Addition with Regrouping Strategies & Tools (1, 2, & 3-Digit)

I am a huge advocate for teaching students the WHY before the PROCEDURE when learning a new math concept. I am a firm believer that teachers owe it to their students to teach them multiple ways to solve math problems. We all learn concepts in different ways and math is no different. With that said, this post is going to explain several different addition with regrouping strategies that you can teach your students so that they can better understand this concept and easily transfer from 1-digit to 2 and 3-digit addition with regrouping problems.

Understanding place value is crucial before delving into addition with regrouping. Without a solid grasp of place value, progressing further in instruction becomes pointless.Depending on where you teach, you may be required to teach 2-digit and 3-digit addition a bit differently. So, I am providing you will a variety of strategies that you can try with your students. If you see a strategy that you cannot use, keep scrolling. I promise there will be something that you will find helpful.

1. Place Value Mats

Before I start my addition with regrouping unit, I spend a month teaching place value. Students must be solid in their place value understanding to truly understand the WHAT and WHY of addition with regrouping.

The first day of teaching this skill, my students receive unifix cubes and they learn what regrouping looks like. You can also use place value blocks but I like that unifix cubes can be pulled apart and pushed together. We always start with a two-digit number on top and a one-digit number on the bottom.

Here's how I teach it:

• Materials needed: manipulatives (unifix cubes, place value blocks or even popsicle sticks and beans) and a place value mat
• Build the top number with manipulatives, then add the second number on the same mat.
• When you fill a ten frame, you need to regroup, make a ten.
• Count your tens and ones to find your sum.

As I am going through this lesson, I have students who seem to be able to grasp the concept, come up and show the class how to do it all while explaining what they are doing. When students explain their thinking and thought process, it is extremely powerful.

After a couple of days using the place value mat to teach, I'll transition them to paper and pencil while still giving access to unifix cubes and the mat for problem-solving.

Download the mat!

Make sure to download a place value mat before going any further!

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