One of the most common questions we are asked is how our library of digital content supports the Common Core.  The easy answer is that our entire library has been aligned to the Common Core standards, so teachers can find resources related to each standard.  The more complex answer is that there are many pieces of content that can be used in flexible ways to support each individual standard, and it is up to teachers to choose the content that best supports their lesson and their students.

Here are five pieces of digital content a teacher might choose from our library to support and enhance the teaching of: CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.3 Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2 + 3 and 5 = 4 + 1).

Brilliant Beastring Rekenrek

You could use this virtual manipulative with students either on laptops/tablets/Chromebooks or using real manipulatives.  Activities can be developed that help students to visualize a number decomposed in different ways and to try to create all of the different ways a number can be decomposed.  ( A lesson plan with four activities to use with this resource is available for StarrMatica members.)

Calculation Balance

You could also use this virtual manipulative with students either on laptops/tablets/Chrombooks.  This manipulative moves  your students from using objects to represent decomposition to using numbers.  Students could be challenged to find several ways to balance the scale for a given number.

Make A Number

You could use this animation to review how a number can be created in many different ways.  It includes a manipulative that allows students to separate blocks into two groups and record their decompositions.  (You must be a StarrMatica member and be logged in to access this resource.)

Butterfly Ten Frame

You could use this simple activity with students to practice and record number combinations that equal ten.

Big Wig Sub Shop

You could use this resource to check for student understanding.  The game challenges students to find all of the number sentences that name the given number.