We are in our fourth year of Right Start.

My daughter has always "answered" exactly as the teacher's manual suggests in sharing her methods for mental addition. However she has started doing something a little different from the textbook answers. She is still combining but not in the exact way that was taught. This all started after we took a 1 month break between level C and level D.

For example-
47 + 7 =
She is adding 7 + 7.
Then adding the sum 14 to 40 to get the answer of 54.

54 + 32 =
She adds 50 + 30 to get 80
Then she adds 4 + 2 to get 6
Then she adds 80 + 6 to get 86.

I am wondering if this is okay or if we should go back and review the other methods. Just don't want anything to cause issues down the line.

Hello Karen,

If she can do it the other way but is preferring this way, I would not be concerned. Just make sure her place values are together as that will be the key to keeping it straight as the place values increase.

I have one who is almost always correct in his answers and solves it this way.

Please let me know if you have any more questions. You can email me directly at Carissa@alabacus.com .

Thank you for giving your child a RightStart in Math,

Carissa
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

For program questions: 888.272.3291
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