Small Friends Pond — Lesson 29: Small friends: plus 2 and plus 1
Plus 2 and plus 1 practice →Lesson 29: Abacus small friends: plus 2 and 1
Level 3, Small Friends Pond. The last two small friends.
What your child does, card by card
Small friends: plus 2 and plus 1. 2 and 3 make 5. 1 and 4 make 5. PlayType opens the lesson: “Same trick, new friend.”
Plus 4: 1 back. Plus 3: 2 back.: add 5, then take back what is too many. The abacus makes 4, then clears. Here the hands lead: they show 4, 9, 8, 4, 9 and 7, and a moment later the beads copy each one. “4 + 4: 1 back = 8” and “4 + 3: 2 back = 7” glow on the card in step with the beads. The card ends on a touch: “Tap a bead to try it.”
3 + 2: only 1 bead is free. The beads show 3 and go back to zero. Above, “Start at 3” and “+ 2? Only 1 free” take turns to glow. Its words: “2 will not fit. So add 5!”
Plus 2: add 5, take 3 back: 5 is 2 and 3. So 5 is 3 too many. On this card “+5: the top bead”, “−3: the friend” and “+2 = +5 −3” glow in turn as the beads move. Your child copies the order to work out 3 + 2 and 4 + 2.
4 + 1: you know this one!: lesson 4: swap four beads for one. Yellow marks the bottom beads while the kids talk about them. The abacus makes 4, then clears. Here the hands lead: they show 4 and 5, and a moment later the beads copy each one. On the card, “+5: the top bead”, “−4: the friend” and “+1 = +5 −4” light up one by one. Then the card invites a touch: “Plus 1: add 5, take 4 back.”
In Try it a green ring marks the next bead while your child works out 4 + 1, 3 + 2 and 4 + 2.
The tiny practice drops the ring: work out 4 + 1, 3 + 2, 1 + 2, 4 + 2, 7 + 1 and 3 + 1, each round starting from its own number.
In Copy me the drawn hand holds up 5, 6 and 5 in turn, and your child copies each one in beads.
In your head: the abacus is covered and your child works out 3 + 2, 4 + 1 and 4 + 2, showing each answer on the drawn fingers.
You're ready! Plus 2: add 5, take 3 back. Plus 1: add 5, take 4 back.
What this lesson trains
17 answers in about five minutes. The tasks take 23 bead moves in all: 11 with a top bead and 12 with bottom beads. The work stays at 8 or below, on one rod. Then 3 quick looks in your head. The friend rules here: +2 = +5 −3 and +1 = +5 −4, used in 8 of 11 sums.
The first thing your child does: work out 4 + 1, 3 + 2 and 4 + 2.
Fingers and hands
Below the abacus the drawn hands show zero and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 here, finger for bead.
+2 on the fingers: the thumb opens and 3 fingers close (+5 −3). +1 on the fingers: the thumb opens and 4 fingers close (+5 −4).
On “Plus 4: 1 back. Plus 3: 2 back.” the hands move first and the beads follow, so your child sees that a finger and a bead move together: open a finger and a bead goes to the bar, close it and the bead goes back.
In Copy me the hand leads with 5, 6 and 5 and your child turns each into beads.
What PlayBuddy and PlayType say
PlayBuddy: “Five is one too many. So one bead goes back!”
PlayType: “Not enough beads. Ask the small friend.”
PlayBuddy: “Four beads are up. So how do we make five?”
PlayType: “Five is the top bead alone. The bottom beads go back down.”
Stars
With 1 or fewer slips across the 17 answers your child earns three stars; 4 or fewer, two.