These resources are part of Tools4NCTeachers.  Click to download fully-formatted letters.

Letter excerpt:

Dear Parents,

Beginning <date> we will be starting a new unit focused on place value.  The purpose of this letter is to provide you background about our new unit.  One of the most important concepts your child will be learning is that a hundred is a collection of ten tens. All of our place value work is centered on this idea. 

Focus of the Unit

●        Break apart (decompose) three-digit numbers using place value

●        Read and write three-digit numbers in standard form (using numerals), expanded form, and word form

●        Compare two three-digit numbers

●        Skip count by 5s, 10s, and 100s to 1,000

Building off Past Mathematics

Previously students explored two-digit numbers to understand that each digit represents the amount of tens and ones.  Students have compared two-digit numbers based on the value of the tens and ones using the appropriate symbol (˂, ˃, =). In this unit students will extend their place value understanding as they begin reading, writing, and comparing three-digit numbers.  Students will also begin counting within 1,000 by 5s, 10s, and 1,000s.

Strategies That Students Will Learn

1.       Breaking Apart Numbers- Students will break apart numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones.  This is also referred to as decomposing numbers.   For example, 345 can be broken into 3 hundreds + 4 tens + 5 ones or 34 tens + 5 ones. 

2.       Reading and Writing Numbers- Students will write numbers in three different ways.  Let’s look at 345.

·         Standard form uses numerals:  345

·         Word:  three hundred forty-five

·         Expanded:  300 + 40 + 5

3.       Skip Counting –Students will skip count from zero by 5s, 10s, and 100s to 1,000.  As students become more proficient, they start at any number between 0 -1,000 and skip count.  Students could be asked to skip count by 10s to complete the following pattern:  159, 169, _____, _____, _____.   Often these problems are a part of a word problem. 

4.       Comparing Numbers- Students will compare the value of digits within a three-digit number, starting in the hundreds place, to determine which number is greater (275 ˂ 527). Students will be asked to compare different number forms:

·         300 + 7 + 60   ˃  20 + 5 + 200

·         35 tens ˂  281

Ideas for Home Support

Attached are two games that you can play at home with your child to reinforce classroom learning,  Thank you for serving as partners in your child’s success as a mathematician!

<signature>

Number Concentration

Building Fluency: base ten numerals, number names, and expanded form

Materials: deck of memory cards

Number of Players: 2 – 4

Directions:

1.    Place cards face down on the floor in an array.

2.    Player 1 turns over two cards. If the cards are matches, the player removes them from the array and takes another turn. If the cards do not match, the player turns the cards over and the next player takes his turn.

3.    The game continues until all matches have been made.

4.    The winner is the player with the most matches at the end of the game.

Variation/Extension: Choose which cards to use during the game instead of all cards.

Greater Gators

Building Fluency: adding two digit numbers, comparing numbers

Materials: game board, pair of dice, recording sheet, 5 markers for each player

Number of Players: 2

Directions:

1.    Player 1 rolls the dice. Player 1 uses the numbers rolled to create a two digit number and writes the number on the recording sheet.

2.    Player 2 rolls the dice. Player 2 uses the numbers rolled to create a two digit number and writes the number on the recording sheet.

3.    Continue in this way until each player has four two digit numbers.

4.    Each player adds his four two digit numbers together.

5.    The player with the greater sum wins the round and places one of his markers on the ten frame.

6.    Repeat the steps for each round.

7.    The winner is the first player to have five markers on the ten frame.

Variation/Extension: Students can compare numbers and determine the smaller of the two sums OR for students who have mastered two digit addition with four numbers, can begin working with three digit numbers.

TEN FRAME

PLAYER 1    ROUND _______

PLAYER 2    ROUND _______