Question

Hello I am Amy.I am in first grade.I am 6 years old.I need help with this problem can someone please help me?

4+54=?
Also this one please:
1+3-1-4=?

Just count 4 more than 54 like this 54,55,56,57,58 so your answer is 58.

just for the first problem

Thank you,so how do I do the second one?Also,your nice.

For the second one, draw a number line like so,
.-3..-2..-1..0..+1..+2..+3..+4..+5..

Now, start at +1 (your first number), move three places to the right for the +3, move 1 place to the left for -1 and 4 places to the left for -4.Where do you land? That is your answer.

Is it -1?

Yes, you are corret.
Another way this can be done, although you may not have been shown this way yet, is to first combine the + terms. That is +1 and +3 for
1+3=4.
Then combine the negative terms, -1 and -4.
-1 + (-4) = -5

Finally, combine the net + and net - terms, that is +4 and -5
+4 +(-5) = -1.

The number line works very well for small numbers but becomes cumbersome for large numbers. I hope this helps.

Amy, simple way.... borrow some toothpicks from your mom. Put down 1 toothpick...then put three more toothpicks with it. Next, take away 1 toothpick, then take away 4.... Yes, you are right... -1 is the answer. If you have a hard time "seeing" the problem on paper, then use the toothpicks.

Thank you so much GuruBlue and DrBob222!You guys are my heroes!

That's what I said.Sorry,my brother was on his asking a question and I didn't get to change it!

When I first started to write the answer I thought I would use matches but quickly saw the answer was -1 and I didn't know how to have a -1 match. So I went to the number line.

Oh...thank you!As I said before,you are my hero!

yes

1 is 58
2 is 3