Math Mammoth Addition 1 is a self-explanatory worktext, dealing with the concept of addition and addition facts within 0-10 (in few occasions numbers between 10 and 20 are used). The book is suitable for kindergarten and first grade.

The book starts out with very easy addition problems within 0-5, using pictures. If the student does not yet know the symbols + and = , you can introduce them first orally. In other words, use blocks or rocks and make addition problems where you use both kinds of wordings: "Three blocks and four blocks makes seven blocks. Three blocks PLUS four blocks EQUALS seven blocks." Play like that until the child can use the words PLUS and EQUALS in his/her own speech. This will make it easier for him/her to use the written symbols.

Soon the lessons start including missing addend problems. We first use pictures, and gradually get to the abstract 1 + __ = 5 with symbols only. Keep in mind that children may confuse this problem with 1 + 5 = __. You can word these problems like this: "1 and how many more makes 5?" You can MODEL this "how many more" addition by drawing: First draw 1 ball. Tell the child that we need to have a total of 5 balls. He is to draw more until there are five balls. In the missing addition problem, however many balls the child has to draw is the number that goes on the empty line. So, first there is one ball, then we need to add (draw) some more to make 5. But how many more were drawn?

After that, the book contains many lessons called Sums with... whose goal is to help the child memorize addition facts.

My approach to memorization is many-fold: