Use Two Steps to Count What Is Left

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil, or a trusted adult to read the story.
• Supplied display: three equal rows of five paper badges; four badges are removed.

Learn the idea

Some stories require two calculations. Here we first need the starting number of badges. Equal rows help find that total using repeated addition. Only after finding the whole starting display can we subtract the badges that leave.

A drawing connects the steps. Count or label the starting dots, then cross out only the removed dots. The final answer counts uncrossed dots; it does not count rows. Keep the unit, badges, with the answer to show what was counted.

1. Draw three rows of five badges and write 5 + 5 + 5.
2. Cross out four badges anywhere in the display.
3. Count the uncrossed badges and check by adding the four removed badges back.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

Keep the four rows of three, but remove only two badges. There are 12 − 2 = 10 left, three more than when five were removed.

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