This week during our 15 minute Mastering Number Sessions we have been looking at number bonds to 5 in lots of different representations.

We have used seats on a double decker  bus, where children have changed places from the top to the bottom. Moved beads on our Rekenrek’s modeling the movement of the numbers getting greater and smaller. Drawn number bond diagrams using the vocabulary of ‘whole’ and ‘parts’ and finally started to draw bar models.

Throughout these sessions children are focusing on one specific number and becoming experts at it. The focus is on number composition and how whole numbers can be split up – looking at patterns and making links between the language we are using and the representation we can see and have drawn.

This week we have started to look at bar models. We have focused on systematically working through number bonds, looking at the pattern of numbers. We noticed how as one ‘part’ gets smaller, the other ‘part’ must become greater. We can see in the example below how the numbers on the left go down in ones as the numbers on the right go up in ones.

5 and 0 make 5

4 and 1 make 5

3 and 2 make 5

2 and 3 make 5

1 and 4 make 5

0 and 5 make 5

Below you can see some of of our bar models. We have been trying really hard to show the size of the ‘parts’. You will see how in the ‘ 5 and 5 make 10’  bar model the ‘5’ parts are equal, as both of the numbers are the same. They are an equal amount of the total. Bringing this vocabulary together with visual representations helps to consolidate learning and embed the key concepts.

Brilliant, reflective learning this week year 1! You are working so hard on your representations and using them to help you work through different mathematical problems.

You should all be really proud of yourselves!

Well done.