K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Use Compensation to Add on a Number Line

🎁 Look out, it's a trick number! If a number ends in 8 or 9, it's secretly pretending to be the next 10. Let's expose its secret to add faster.

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 42 of 186

Concept

Adding numbers like 29 or 38 can be annoying. We have to make so many 1-hops on the number line! Let's use a shortcut.

🎯 The "Jump Too Far and Hop Back" Strategy: Example: 45 + 19 = ? 19 is annoying. But 19 is incredibly close to a perfect 20! So... just pretend it IS 20!

1. Jump Too Far: Start at 45. Add a giant, easy 20. (45 + 20 = 65). 2. Wait, we added too much! We were only supposed to add 19. We added 1 too many! 3. Hop Back to Compensate: Take 1 tiny hop BACKWARDS to fix the mistake. (65 - 1 = 64). So, 45 + 19 = 64.

Adding 20 and taking away 1 is much, much faster than adding 19!

Try it

Jump too far, then hop back!

Instructions: Pretend the annoying number is a perfect 10, jump forward, then hop backward to fix it!

Problem 1: 52 + 29 = ? * Pretend 29 is 30! * Jump +30: 52 -> 82. * Wait! Hop backward -1: 82 -> ___ * Answer: ___

Problem 2: 34 + 38 = ? * Pretend 38 is 40! * Jump +40: 34 -> ___ * Wait! 38 is TWO less than 40. You have to hop backward -2! * Answer: ___

Problem 3: 47 + 19 = ? * Answer: ___

Problem 4: 65 + 28 = ? * (Jump 30, hop back 2!) * Answer: ___