Fact Track: Number Families in the Addition and Subtraction Modules

Fact Track: Number Families in the Addition and Subtraction Modules

In the Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division modules, a basic fact in number families consists of three numbers: a ‘big number’ and two ‘small numbers.’ The three numbers are presented differently using different symbols and signs. 

The teacher explains that in number families in the Addition and Subtraction modules, the number inside the box is a ‘big number’, while the numbers inside the brackets are ‘small numbers.’ The students learn that the big number inside the box is the result of adding or subtracting the two small numbers. This is the procedure for introducing fact tracks for number families. 

The teacher says:  

• ‘These are number families for addition and subtraction. A number family is made up of two small numbers and a big number. The small numbers are inside the brackets of the number family. The big number is in the box.’  
• ‘Look at number family A.’ The teacher pauses and asks, ‘What’s the big number?’ and then signals to the students to answer.  
•  ‘That’s the number you end up with by adding the two small numbers in the family.’ 
• ‘What are the two small numbers?’ and signals. 
• ‘I’ll say the two addition facts for number family A. 4 plus 3 equals 7; 3 plus 4 equals 7.’  
• ‘Everybody, say the addition fact starting with 4’, and then signals to the students to answer in unison.
• ‘Say the addition fact starting with 3’, and then signals to the students to answer. 

Students learn to generate two addition facts and two subtraction facts and master making up to four facts. So, it is doubly efficient teaching the number family technique. 

A similar teaching procedure to that described above is used to teach number families facts for the Multiplication and Division modules.