math realizations

I have a few realization about math and the first one is back to basics. There is really no need for all the extra puffs in the early grades, but a solid foundation in arithmetic. The second, related to the first, is to teach/allow the kids to have a real math sense. Maybe that comes through practice? I am not sure.

Ex. Prime knows subtraction is giving away, or take away, but he didn't know it was also difference or # spaces. For a problem like 5-4, he would count backward, 4, 3,2, 1 and get the correct answer. If I give him a problem like 20-19, he uses the same method and it would take him a while. So I can see the math practice/drill sheets did not help him to have what I call "math sense".

Or J knows the "difference between 5 and 2 but if I give her 20-17, she would pause.

Or in using the cuisinaire rods, I told her in subtraction like 20-17, she would need to get 2 rods of ten side by side and the next line, line up 17 and find the missing spaces.
But in addition, like 12+8 she should do 10 rod on 1 line and 2 rod the next line and then 8 would be filling up. Basically, trying to finish the 10's. She did subtraction first, and when she got to the addition, she tried to use the same method I told and did 10 rod and 2 rod the same row and then 8 the next row. This formation didn't help her too much to come up with the answer.

Anyway, there are lots of examples like that which makes me think in the early grades, the most important thing is arithmetic, and not worry about the extra stuff, like direction(vector), temperatures, measurement, etc. Those can wait until they master the basic stuff.