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Students explore place value in a game-like environment. There are opportunities for mental addition and subtraction.

Teacher notes

  • Students try to reach a target number by adding or subtracting in fewer than 20 moves. The Spinner randomly serves up a digit. Students choose a place value to assign to the digit then either add or subtract it to the base number.
  • The Wishball option, which can be used only once, allows the students to choose the final digit required to finish the game.
  • A number line and counting frame dynamically display the moves the students make.
  • By using the range of learning objects in this series, students realise that the same strategies for calculation apply regardless of where the decimal point is placed.
  • In the Wishball subseries, students can choose to add or subtract digits to reach the target number.
  • In the Wishball challenge subseries, only one function (addition or subtraction) is made available for students to use to reach the target number. This requires students to be more careful about selection of place value so they don't 'overshoot' the target number.

Learning objects

 Wishball picture.

Wishball: hundreds
Students work with whole numbers up to hundreds. A printout showing student place value decisions is available.

 Wishball picture.

Wishball challenge: tens
Students work with whole numbers up to 99. A printout showing student place value decisions is available.

 Wishball picture.

Wishball challenge: hundreds
Students work with whole numbers up to hundreds. A printout showing student place value decisions is available.