regrouping for everyone

I needed help understanding the current method of teaching adding and subtracting double-digit numbers. When I was in school, I learned about carrying and borrowing numbers from one column to the next. Now, they talk about regrouping tens and ones in the second grade. I understand the concept; the strategy or method being taught was confusing to me--and my child, apparently.

I know this shouldn't be confusing but here's an example of why it's confusing. A worksheet has blocks above the tens and ones but for addition, the ones box should not be used. What's it doing there? Should I use it? Rather, should he use it? Finally, my son decided that all the ones' boxes in addition-regrouping problems should be x'ed out and not used. But getting to this conclusion required some digging....

I started my research on the second-grade section of the website for my child's school. Fortunately, there is a link (the title-link for this post) to a website that is a companion to the math book. I found the unit in question (#5) and then found an "extra help" section for those of us who are slow-but-logical learners. I watched the subtraction section regrouping once and then brought my son down to watch it with me.

There is audio plus visual, which is nice. I watched it at least a couple times, and finally got whatever it was I was supposed to be learning. My son finally realized "what they are trying to teach me." He could add and subtract double-digit numbers (I think) but the method was not one he would have invented. And he does like to invent things, such as math strategies that make sense to him.

There are also games and activities on the site though not all are specific to a particular math unit but require second grade math skills. My son seemed to enjoy adding and subtracting single-digit and double-digit numbers in his head, which was required for at least a few games.

I like the close tie-in with the math book and worksheets.