Number Bonds provide students with a visual for practicing part part whole. This is an essential concept for understanding how addition and subtraction are related. When I first started teaching them in the my classroom, I HATED them! I felt like I was confusing my kids. They did not understand which circle was the whole. Then, when it seemed like they were getting it, I turned the number bond, and they were confused all over again!
This is my 7th year teaching Eureka Math. I now feel confident teaching number bonds and I understand their importance. Kids who understand number bonds understand how addition and subtraction are related.
I expose students to number bonds earlier then the curriculum. I start with this magnetic number bond That I got from Learning Resources Giant Magnetic Number Bonds, Math Teacher aids, Whiteboard accessories, 55 Pieces, Grades K+“>here. Everyday, I take a number from 1-10 and model how to break it into two parts. By the time we get to it in the curriculum, they have been exposed to it and it is less confusing.
Now that we are teaching it with the curriculum, I have added this poster to our daily routine. This helps students to conceptualize part part whole and get a better understanding of how addition and subtraction relate to each other. I laminated this poster so I can choose a different number everyday. You can the components to this poster FREE HERE.
Finally, we practice number bonds, a lot. These number bonds come in my Math Centers, Printables, and Exit Tickets Bundle. These are all low prep centers that come in color and black and white, to meet your printing needs. Plus, each center comes with an Exit Ticket to see if students have mastered the skills. I like how easy they are to prep. If your students need individual centers, you can print them at 80% so that they fit in a photo box.
Adding manipulatives is a great way to help students understand how to decompose numbers with number bonds. Dominoes provide that added benefit of dividing the number into part part. You can print a class set of these sheets to create individual math centers. If you do not have enough dominoes to give each student their own, my Domino Math Centers includes an entire set you can print off for each student.
Do you want a FREE center for number bonds? Check out this FREE Decomposing Pom-Poms Center by Lindsay Keegan. She includes You can get pompoms at Michaels or the Dollar Tree
I love these differentiated Number Bond Worksheets for individual practice. Each theme has 6 differentiated worksheets to meet your students needs. There are worksheets with and without ten frames. They focus on numbers 1-5 and 6-10. They are half off for a limited time.
My final tip is use technology. These Number Bond Google Slides can be projected onto a Smartboard for a whole group lesson. Student just need a number bond at the desk to follow along. You can also assign them in your Google Classroom. I use technology as one of my rotations. Students can spend 10-15 minutes working independently on Google Slides.
