Near Doubles Addition Strategy
Teaching math facts isn’t just giving students flash cards to memorize their facts. There is much more to it than that. But where do you start when teaching math facts?
You need to explicitly teach strategies.
Let’s start with the near doubles addition strategy.
You might hear this strategy being called near doubles or using doubles. Both mean the same thing!
For addition, this means adding numbers that are near each other. Students use their knowledge of doubles to help them add these facts.
Example – 4+5 is a near doubles fact. The students can solve this in two different ways.
- Students will double the smallest number, which is 4 in this case. When you double 4, you get 8. That is the same thing as 4+4. So you know that instead of adding the second 4, you really want to add 5, which is just 1 more than 4. So to solve 4+5 students would think of 4+4+1 which equals 9, so 4+5=9.
- Students will double the largest number, which is 5 in this case. When you double 5, you get 10. That is the same thing as 5+5. So you know that instead of adding the second 5, you really want to add 4, which is just 1 less than 5. So to solve 4+5 students would think of 5+5-1 which equals 9, so 4+5=9.
Near Doubles Addition Strategy Games
After teaching the near doubles addition strategy, I give ample time for students to practice their new facts.
I use games as a way to practice these facts. The games are designed with these strategies in mind.
You can use these games in any order to practice the near doubles addition strategy. It gives students a variety of games to practice the same strategy so they don’t get bored!
Students will roll two dice. If they get a near doubles fact, they get to cover up a basketball with that sum.
If they don’t roll a near doubles fact, they lose their turn.
The first player to get five in a row is the winner!
Students will roll one die. They double the number on the die and add or subtract one depending on the version of the game they are using.
They move to the first space with the sum.
The first player to reach the hoop at the end of the game board is the winner!
Students will roll one die. They will double the number and add or subtract one depending on the version of the game they are using.
They will cover up one basketball that has the answer.
After all the basketballs are covered, the player with the most basketballs covered is the winner.
All games are available in color and black and white!
These games have many different uses in the classroom:
- math centers
- substitute plans
- homework
- early finisher work
Get the Basketball Near Doubles Games
Near Doubles Addition Strategy Posters
