Using Near Doubles

Videos for Educators

Important Information:

There are only ten doubles facts from 0 + 0 to 9+ 9. These ten facts are a powerful tool to learn near doubles facts.

Near doubles include all combinations where one addend is 1 more than the other. The strategy is to double the smaller number and add 1.

Students who are using the known fact strategy are developing relational reasoning. They are beginning to work with numbers in more efficient and flexible ways, relying less on counting. They are continuing to build on part-whole relationships, recognizing that a first number (or part), plus a count of the second number (part), will give them the total amount (whole).

Examples of what students might do:

Examples of what students might say: "I know that 7 plus 7 is 14. 8 is one more than 7 so I added 1 to my answer."

Strategies to Support Student Learning

• To ensure students grasp what is happening when they double have them build the amount with a concrete item, like snap cubes, and then double it.

• Once students have automatic recall of their doubles facts they will be able to transfer this to solving questions with near doubles.

• Use ten frames to help students visualize the learning.