Kaitlyn Flint - Weekly Student Work

This task is designed for students to work independently on adding. The student is to roll two dice and count the dots on each dice and write those numbers in the boxes. They are then to add the dots together to find the total number of dots on the dice. By this, the teacher was having them practice adding by using dots on dice as a way to count the numbers and add them together. This is a strategy that can be used when teaching adding. According to the common core standards, this would meet K.OA.1 Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations. In this work, the students are using objects to represent addition. This helps students practice the big idea of "What is adding?"
The student could approach this worksheet by rolling the dice and then using one to one correspondence to count each dot on each dice and filling in the numbers in the boxes that way. Another way a student could approach this worksheet is by using marbles. They could roll the dice, then put out the corresponding number of marbles on the table and count that number and write it in and do the same for the second piece of dice. The student could then count all the marbles together using one to one correspondence to get the final answer. 
Some anticipated student approaches could be drawing the number of dots on a separate sheet of paper and counting them that way or using their fingers to count up from the first number of dice to get the final sum. 
The steps taken by this student to solve this problem were:
1. The student rolled the first dice and I saw him pointing to the dots as he was counting so I said, "Show me how you figured out that number" so he took his finger again and counted aloud using one to one correspondence saying "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6" is how I got 6. 
2. The student rolled the second dice and used his fingers while pointing to the dots and said aloud, "1, 2" is how I got 2.
3. The student then counted both dice dots together with his fingers and said "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 8 is the answer." 
This may reveal that the student still may need the support of using an object to add numbers together as he physically counted each dot one by one and had to also count them altogether. This does show that the student is able to count objects independently and get the correct answer. 
Two ways to advance this student's thinking is to write down "2+6" on a piece of paper and teach him to solve the problem by using tally marks or drawing circles so he is still able to use something to count, but does not have to rely on dice for a correct answer. Another way to advance his thinking is to take his work sheet and take out some of the numbers and see if he can solve the problem with objects which could potentially turn them into subtraction problems and this would give him practice with a new mathematical operation. I believe he would be able to do these things because it still works off of the idea of using objects in counting one to one correspondence which is a skill he has mastered, these suggestions for advancement broadens that idea and allows him to apply it to new situations.