Yummy Number Combinations

We have been working diligently on number combinations (you may know them as fact families) this past week and half.  This is very difficult for students to come up with all the combinations for a number.  We avoid drilling math facts in favor of allowing kids to build number sense and an intuitive understanding of how numbers go together and come apart.  One way we have been doing this is by using lots of hands on manipulatives.  We have used people, cubes, chips, food, and jewels.  The pictures below show the students using Skittles and M & M's to make combinations of 8.  As you can tell from their engagement with the task, they really enjoyed it.