Developing 5-Anchor: 5-Facts with 5-Frame

Developing a sense of 5, or 5-anchor is an important concept for young children. Being able to break apart and combine numbers is a skill that aids in later math concepts and operations. For example, adding 7+5 can be done in a number of ways. A child who has developed 5 and 10 anchors may break 7 into 2+5. Since they know 5+5 is 10, 2 more is 12. As children become familiar with 5-and 10-anchors, they unknowingly use both concepts in later concepts such as multi digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. For example, 9 x 8: This is a hard fact for children to memorize but if they think fluidly of numbers they can use those strategies to make sense of the problem and solve it. A child with developed number sense and good understanding of multiplication as repeated addition might think: I know 10 x 8 is 10 sets of 8 instead of 9 sets of 8. I know 10 x 8 is 80 and 80-8 (less a set of 8) is 72. Take another example, 19 x 18: 20 x 18 is 360 and 360-18 (less a set of 18) can be done easier as 360-20+2; the answer is 342.

I know, you're thinking: kids don't think this way--it's way too complicated. But the fact is many of us develop this way of thinking at an early age. As we are exposed to math, we develop these strategies. Some of us are explicitly taught these strategies, others pick it up from their own experience, and yet others are a combination of self-discovery as well as classroom experiences. We need to give children experiences that they can develop these strategies and use them in practical activities inside and outside the classroom.