Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 55%

The mental math strategy of counting on will best help kindergarten students accomplish which of the following tasks?

Rationale

Determining how many more blocks are needed to make ten if there are six blocks on a desk.

The counting on strategy enables students to quickly find how many more blocks are needed by starting from the known quantity and counting up to the target number. In this case, students can count from six to ten, making the process intuitive and reinforcing their understanding of addition.

A (Determining how many more blocks are needed to make ten if there are six blocks on a desk) CORRECT

This option directly utilizes the counting on strategy, as students start at six and count up to ten. By counting on (seven, eight, nine, ten), they can easily determine that four more blocks are needed. This approach reinforces addition skills in a practical and engaging manner.

B (Writing the numbers two, four, six, eight, and ten as the sum of doubles) YOUR ANSWER

While this task involves recognizing patterns in addition, it does not directly engage the counting on strategy. Writing sums may require more abstract thinking rather than the straightforward process of counting up from a number. Thus, it is not the best fit for kindergarten students who are just learning to apply counting strategies.

C (Touching each of ten blocks while counting them) YOUR ANSWER

This option focuses on one-to-one correspondence rather than the counting on strategy. While it is an important foundational skill for counting, it does not specifically help students learn to add by counting on, which is the core focus of the question.

D (Describing how to skip count to ten by twos) YOUR ANSWER

Skip counting is a valuable skill but does not involve counting on from a specific starting point to find a total. This strategy is more abstract and complex, making it less suitable for kindergarten students who are just beginning to understand addition through concrete counting methods.

Conclusion

The counting on strategy is most effectively applied in determining how many more blocks are needed to reach a total, as demonstrated in option A. This method helps kindergarten students develop their addition skills in a tangible way, while the other options either focus on different mathematical concepts or require more advanced reasoning. By mastering counting on, students build a solid foundation for future math learning.

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