Codes: AC9M2N04, AC9M2N06. Goal: represent a practical additive situation, choose a strategy and interpret the answer. Prepare: original problem cards in materials, counters, sketch paper.
- Invite · 2 min. Say: “A problem has a story, a model and an answer that must make sense in that story.”
- Model · 5 min. Read: “A class made 27 paper tags in the morning and 8 after lunch. How many tags altogether?” Underline quantities and “altogether”; draw 27 as tens/ones, add 8 by making 30 + 5 = 35. Say: “35 tags. I can check: 35 − 8 = 27.”
- Guided compare · 6 min. Show a second model that says 27 − 8 = 19. Ask: “Why does it not match made 8 more?” Invite a child to revise the model, not label the child wrong.
- Choice problems · 7 min. Partners choose one: A, “32 cards, 9 handed out; how many stay?” (23); B, “18 seats, 7 more placed; how many now?” (25). They choose objects, drawing or number line, write a sentence, and explain the unit. Teacher asks: “Which part is unknown? Does your answer fit?”
- Another domain · 3 min. Offer a gardening variant: 24 plant labels plus 6 new labels is 30. Explain that the arithmetic structure is the same although the objects differ.
- Check · 2 min. Everyone answers A or B with model and unit; sample focus learners. If the chosen operation conflicts with the action, ask for a physical enactment tomorrow.
Access routes: read problems aloud, large print, tactile pieces, AAC choice of operation/model, adult scribe. Do not make reading fluency the measure of maths understanding.