Visualizing Number Relationships with Number Bonds in First Grade

First graders have been practicing breaking numbers into parts using visual models called number bonds.  Understanding number bonds makes it easier for children to learn basic addition and subtraction facts and makes them more proficient in mental math calculations. We have been using concrete object groups to help students grasp the concept of number bonds and the bigger idea of part-part whole. Yesterday in class, students found objects throughout the room to add (such as blue markers and yellow markers) and created a number bond and addition equations for those items.  We also talked about the commutative property of addition (the fact that you can add in any order and get the same answer) and the kids had fun saying the new word commutative.



Using number bonds helps set the stage for the addition and subtraction work we will soon be starting and is revisited in second grade and beyond as we learn more complex computation strategies.  Number bonds help the students understand that a number is made up of parts.  If you know the parts, you can put them together (add) to find the whole.  If you know the whole and one of the parts, you can take away the part you know (subtract) to find the other part.  Number bonds let children see the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.  Understanding subtraction as the mirror image of addition helps students approach subtraction problems more comfortably and more generally develops their ability to work with numbers.


At home you can have your children show you what a number bond is.  You may want to help them explore number bonds in a hands on way, such as having your child collect some leaves from your backyard (approximately 10 big and 10 small leaves). You may substitute with shells (big and small) or beans (red and black) or any other small object.  Have your child to choose a number between 1 and 10, for example, 7.  Then, using that number of the object, have your child find different ways to group the object into two groups, for example, 6 and 1 or 5 and 2.  You can then have your child draw number bonds for the number they chose and name the parts and the whole. If you're feeling adventurous, you can explore with bigger numbers!