Max Maths, Year 4, Learn together, Addition of 3-digit numbers using regrouping and column method (3)

In a mathematics lesson tailored for Year 4 pupils, the concept of adding three-digit numbers is explored, utilising both counting blocks and the column method to aid understanding. The lesson involves a practical example where students are asked to calculate the sum of 239 and 382. This exercise helps solidify their comprehension of addition with regrouping, a key numerical skill at this stage of their education. Students begin by representing each number with counting blocks, which provides a visual aid to understand the value of ones, tens, and hundreds. This hands-on approach helps to demystify the process of regrouping when numbers in a column exceed nine.

Following the use of counting blocks, the lesson transitions to the column method, which is a more abstract form of addition. The numbers 239 and 382 are written vertically and aligned by place value, meaning ones under ones, tens under tens, and hundreds under hundreds. Students then add each column starting from the ones, moving to the tens, and finally adding the hundreds. During this process, they learn to carry over any extra value to the next column on the left. For instance, when adding the tens column, if the sum exceeds nine, the excess becomes part of the hundreds column. By the end of the activity, pupils are able to see that the sum of 239 and 382 is 621, having used both a tangible method with counting blocks and the formal written column method.