Confident Two-Digit Math

Grade 3 | Mathematics | Duration: 12 minutes

Learning Objective

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.5
Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

I can add and subtract two-digit numbers using place value strategies.

Success Criteria

I can break apart numbers into tens and ones to add or subtract.
I can use number bonds (place value blocks or drawings) to solve addition and subtraction problems.
I can check my answer by estimating.

Materials

Place value chart (printed or drawn)
Base-ten blocks or virtual manipulatives
Whiteboard and marker
Dyslexia-friendly worksheet (large font, color-coded tens and ones)
Number bond manipulatives (circles connected by lines)

Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up (2 minutes)

Activity: Quick oral review
Ask: “What are the two parts of a two-digit number?” (Tens and Ones)
Show the number 47 on place value chart and ask the student to identify tens and ones.
Emphasize: “I can say how many tens and ones are in a number.”

2. Guided Practice (5 minutes)

Activity: Adding two-digit numbers using place value
Present problem: 34 + 25
Model breaking 34 into 30 + 4 and 25 into 20 + 5 on place value chart.
Add tens: 30 + 20 = 50
Add ones: 4 + 5 = 9
Combine: 50 + 9 = 59
Student uses base-ten blocks or number bonds to physically manipulate the problem.
Encourage student to verbalize steps: “I add tens, then ones, then combine.”

3. Independent Practice (3 minutes)

Activity: Subtraction with two-digit numbers using number bonds
Problem: 62 - 27
Student breaks 62 into 60 + 2, and 27 into 20 + 7 using dyslexia-friendly worksheet with color-coded tens (blue) and ones (green).
Student subtracts tens first (60 - 20 = 40) and then ones (2 - 7) – model borrowing or decomposition if needed.
Use visual aids to demonstrate how to break 1 ten into 10 ones if needed (borrowing step).
Check work by counting or estimating.

4. Wrap-Up & Check for Understanding (2 minutes)

Ask: “How did you add or subtract the numbers?”
Ask student to explain their thinking aloud using “I can break apart numbers to solve problems.”
Provide immediate, positive feedback.
Review how estimating helps to check if the answer is reasonable.

Differentiation Strategies

For a student needing more support:
- Use concrete manipulatives throughout.
- Simplify problems (e.g., numbers with zeros in ones place) to reduce cognitive load.
- Provide step-by-step sentence starters: “First I add the _____.”
For advanced learners:
- Challenge with addition and subtraction involving three two-digit numbers (e.g., 23 + 45 + 12) using same strategies.
- Introduce mental math strategies or quick estimation games.

Extension Activity (to spark interest)

Create a “Math Story” where the student invents word problems with two-digit addition or subtraction using characters and items they like (e.g., “If Mario has 38 coins and Luigi gives him 27 more, how many coins do they have together?”). Encourage drawing and writing the problem and solution.

Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Tips

Use dyslexia-friendly font (such as OpenDyslexic) on printed materials.
Use high contrast colors for numbers and symbols (dark text on light background).
Color-code tens and ones in different colors consistently (e.g., blue for tens, green for ones).
Break instructions into smaller chunks with bullet points.
Provide oral instructions alongside written ones.

Assessment

Observe student’s ability to decompose numbers and perform addition or subtraction with support.
Listen for verbal explanations to check conceptual understanding.
Review student work on worksheet or manipulatives.
Use quick exit question: “Show me how to add 50 + 20.”

This compact, hands-on, and multi-sensory approach will engage your student and align with Common Core standards, building a strong foundation for confident two-digit addition and subtraction.

Teaching Instructions