Since winter break, first grade students have been working on applying addition and subtraction strategies, improving their fact recall, and understanding place value concepts.  In doing so, students have completed a unit in working with numbers to 20 as well as a mini-unit focused on comparing numbers.  Throughout each they were tasked with counting and comparing quantities, adding, and subtracting.  As with other topics, students followed the progression of working with concrete objects and pictoral representations before moving onto problem solving.  Currently, first grade students are working with numbers to 40.  This began by counting and grouping objects, reviewing place value concepts, and comparing quantities.  Students are now adding and subtracting by using number bonds, counting on, counting back, and making tens.  Additional elements include applying strategies to add multiple addends, solving for missing addends, and identifying and completing more complex numerical patterns.  As we move toward problem solving, students will be asked to select the appropriate operation, show their work, and solve multiple steps.