It is, but there's a reason I teach my son addition like this: hundreds | tens |...

It is, but there's a reason I teach my son addition like this:

    hundreds | tens | ones

        1        2      3
    +   2        1      5
    -----------------------
        3        3      8

Rather than

unoDOOOOS(third) {}{}{} [512354]_ = three"ate

* replace {}{}{} with addition, {}{} is subtraction unless followed by three spaces in which case it's also addition * translate and correct any misspellings * [512354] look up in your tables * _ is 15 * dotted lines indicate repeated numbers

Technically they're doing the same thing. One we would assume is harder to learn the fundamental concepts from.