Max Maths, Year 4, Learn together, Bridging 100s

In the 'Max Maths' programme for Year 4, students are introduced to the concept of 'Bridging 100s' as part of their arithmetic learning. This concept helps them understand how to add and subtract numbers that are close to multiples of 100, making calculations simpler and more intuitive. For instance, when adding 196 and 5, students can break down the process by first recognising that 6 plus 5 equals 11, leading to the conclusion that 196 plus 5 equals 201. Alternatively, they can decompose the number 5 into 4 and 1, then add in two steps: 196 plus 4 to reach 200, and then add the remaining 1 to arrive at 201.

Another example provided for students is adding 398 and 7. By knowing that 8 plus 7 equals 15, students can quickly determine that 398 plus 7 equals 405. This can also be achieved by breaking down the number 7 into 2 and 5, adding 398 and 2 to make 400, and then adding the remaining 5 to reach 405. Subtraction examples, such as 501 minus 6 and 703 minus 9, are also explored using similar strategies of breaking down numbers and subtracting in parts. The use of number lines and knowledge of number pairs to 10 are suggested as helpful tools for visualising and understanding these processes, particularly when 'bridging' across 10s and 100s thresholds.