PREPARE BY: JONALD D.

TRAQUIÑA
Even in this age of hand-held calculators
and personal home computers,

. Occasions arise when

calculations must be performed without
the aid of machines. In such cases,
informal counting strategies are
impractical.
To master written multi-digit addition and
written multi-digit subtraction, children
must learn all the steps of the formal
procedure in their correct order.
For multi-digit addition algorithms, children
must also learn where to start, where to write
the sums, and how to carry.
However, learning and even understanding the
step-by-step procedures of the algorithm does
not itself guarantee accuracy. Children must be
able to calculate or recall arithmetic combinations,
and they must care enough to carry out all
aspects of the procedure carefully.
WRITTEN MULTI-
DIGIT ADDITION
CORRECT ALIGNMENT
• To execute the (vertical) multi-digit addition and
subtraction algorithm, terms should be lined up from
the right side so that the ones-place digits form a
single column, the tens-place digits line up vertically,
and so forth.
• Children who do not understand the underlying place-
value rationale for the procedure may make one of
several errors. Some may make no effort to align
terms correctly.
• Alignment difficulties may appear when
children have to copy problems from a text, record
verbally presented problems, or set up word
problems.
• Alignment-related errors are especially
likely to occur when a child is required to write or
copy problems horizontally or do worksheet
exercises in which the problems are printed
horizontally.
PROCEDURE ACCURACY
• Children usually have little difficulty mastering a two-,
three-, or even four-digit written addition procedure
that does not involve carrying (2-, 3- and 4- digit with
no renaming).
• Written addition can be confusing for some children
when it is not connected in a meaningful way to their
informal mathematical experience.
SOME COMMON ADDITION BUGS
 WRITTEN MULTI-
DIGIT SUBTRACTION
Children usually master the written subtraction
procedure with 2-, 3-, or 4-digits with no renaming
(borrowing)even though they may not understand
it. Nevertheless, some children have difficulty with
the written subtraction when it is not lied to
understanding.
( )
.
Many children have enormous difficulty with
problems that involve 2-, 3-, or 4-digits with
renaming. As a result, systematic errors are
common.
SOME COMMON SUBTRACTION BUGS
• Formal instruction on the arithmetic algorithms should
be done in a meaningful manner by building on
children's informal arithmetic knowledge.
• Multi-digit addition and subtraction should be
introduced to children in concrete ways using objects
or manipulative.
• It is essential for teachers to help children bridge the
gap between concrete models and symbolic
arithmetic.
 SUMMARY
• Children often learn multi-digit written calculation
procedures for addition and subtraction without
understanding the underlying base-ten place-value
rationale for such algorithms.
• It is essential that a teacher help children to see the link
between concrete models and their written work.
• The teacher should relate each step of a concrete (or
semi-concrete) model to each step of the written
algorithm.
• Practice of multi-digit arithmetic can and should be
meaningful and interesting to children.