Big Ideas Covered
It is important to understand that there is a difference between mathematics and numeracy. Mathematics is generally what educators teach and numeracy is the ability to apply mathematics to everyday life (Perso, 2006).
Subtraction is the second mathematical process that a student will learn at school. There are three different types of subtraction including take away subtraction, difference or comparison subtraction and missing addend subtraction. All types of subtraction have the same concept, being that the total is known and so too is one part, so all that is required is to find the missing part (Jamieson-Proctor, 2019).
Prior to Week 3, I did not actually know that there are three types of subtraction. I simply thought that subtraction equations can be written differently. As a future educator, I will ensure that I identify each type of subtraction.
Concept, Skill or Strategy
The concept of take away subtraction is whereby you know the total and you know one part of the total. You are then required to find the other part of that total. For example, I had 5 lollies (the total) and then I ate 3 lollies (one part). How many lollies are left? (the other part). When teaching this concept, it is important to use the language model of mathematics.
Misconception
A misconception that a student may develop is that there is only one type of subtraction, being take away. This misconception is likely to occur as students are often taught from an early age that “to subtract means to take away” (Pass, 2016). From this, the image that a student forms in their mind when the word subtraction is said, will often involve taking away, and not necessarily finding the missing addend. As a future educator, I could remediate this misconception through exposing each student to all three types of subtraction, using subtraction story books.
ACARA + Scootle
Year Level: 1
Elmo’s Ducks is a Scootle resource which demonstrates the concept of take away subtraction through using Elmo as the main character. Within the two-minute video, Elmo uses children’s language to explain a subtraction story about four ducks, which one by one, get taken away. A possible limitation is that Elmo speaks quite quickly in which a student may not have time to fully comprehend what is being said.
Resource or Teaching Strategy
Subtraction Bowling is a fantastic resource which could be used within the classroom to demonstrate the concept of take away subtraction. Due to the worksheet, Subtraction Bowling most aligns with the symbolic language stage. A limitation of Subtraction Bowling is that each student may become quite distracted by the enjoyment of such resource, that they don’t completely focus on the mathematical concept being taught.
Below are two different videos which demonstrate subtraction bowling:
Concept, Skill or Strategy: Textbook
Reys et al, pp. 265-266, identifies the concept of comparison problems within subtraction. Within comparison problems, two quantities are known, in which a student needs to identify what is different between both quantities (Reys et al, 2017). This concept could be first taught in the foundation year at the children’s language stage. I could give one student five lollies and another student seven lollies and then begin a whole class discussion about about how many more lollies one student has then the other.
References
ABC Education. (2019). Elmo’s Ducks [Video]. Retrieved from: http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1626890/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015). Mathematics: Sequence of Content. Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/3680/mathematics_-_sequence_of_content.pdf
Byrd, K. (n.d.). Subtraction Bowling. Retrieved from: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Subtraction-Bowling-Number-Sentence-Recording-sheets-3069870
Jamieson-Proctor, 2019. EDMA241, Week 2 Part 2 [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from: https://leo.acu.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=2406565&chapterid=189993
Kingsway College School. (2015, May 1). KCS Senior Kindergarten Plays Subtraction Bowling [Youtube Video]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjZXR002H00
Pass, A. (2016). 4 Common Misconceptions Students Have About Subtraction. Retrieved from: https://apasseducation.com/4-misconceptions-students-about-subtraction/
Perso, T. (2006). Issues Concerning the Teacher and Learning of Mathematics and Numeracy in Australian Schools. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ743586.pdf
Reys, R., Lindquist, M., Lambdin, D., Smith, N., Rogers, A., Cooke, A., Ewing, B., Robson, K & Bennett, S. (2017). Helping Children Learn Mathematics. (2nd ed.). Milton: John Wiley & Sons.
전수현. (2014, July 15). Subtraction Game [Youtube Video]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa6NKD55to0
EDMA Reflective Journal 