The Dot Game: dynamic addition (with change)

How is dynamic addition done with the Dot Game?

The directress begins the activity by reading through the operation with the child that is written on the dotted paper, for example: (2345 + 2493). The directress shows the child how to place five dots for the first addend on the top row from left to right in the green marker. The child is then asked to draw three dots for the second addend in the next square.

The directress and the child add up the green dots by counting them all together and recording the answer in the green marker in the unit column on the dot paper. The directress then moves to the tens column and draws four dots down dots for the first addend in blue, the child then places nine dots for the second addend in blue on the next square.

Once the child reaches the end of the row, he continues drawing the dots in the second row from the first block starting from left to right. When he totals the 10’s, he is encouraged to stop after 10 dots and cross out the row. The directress shows the child how to place a dot in the bottom left of the tens column to record this row. He continues counting the remaining tens (3) and records 3 in the blue marker in the tens collum on the dot paper.

The child then records a red dot in the first square of the hundreds column with a red marker, showing that they carried the 10 tens over from the previous column. The child then continues to add the first and second addend for the 100’s and the 1000’s columns. He ensures that the answers are written in the correct coloured marker in the correct column. The directress then reads through the operation and the answer with the child, once he has completed it.