Addition Teaching Resources
Introduce addition this school year with printable worksheets, digital activities, adding games, addition word problems, flashcards and more to help students understand how to add numbers and apply addition strategies to maths problems.
This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team for primary teachers like you. Each Australian curriculum-aligned resource has been carefully reviewed and curated by our expert teachers to ensure it's ready to use with your students! Browse printables and digital activities for teaching students how to make 10, how to add integers and more, plus find differentiated resources to help you meet each student's needs!
New to teaching addition, or just looking for new ways to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a kid-friendly definition and some common vocabulary!
What Is Addition? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Let's start with a definition of this maths operation that's easy for them to understand!
Addition is a maths operation that involves combining two or more numbers to find a total. The symbol (+) is used to indicate addition, and this is called a plus sign.
Here's an example of addition at work!
In the equation 2 + 3 = 5, the numbers 2 and 3 are added together to get a sum of 5.
Addition Terms
There are plenty of new vocabulary words for your students to learn when introducing addition. Here are some of the terms you will want to start with.
Sum
The sum is the result of adding two or more numbers. It's the solution or answer to an addition problem!
In the equation 2 + 3 = 5, 5 is the sum.
Addend
The numbers being added in an addition equation are called addends.
For example, in the equation 2 + 3 = 5, both 2 and 3 are addends.
Commutative Property
The commutative property states that changing the order of the addends in your addition problem does not change the sum.
For example, 2 + 3 is the same as 3 + 2.
Associative Property
The associative property states that changing the grouping of the addends in your maths problem will not change the sum.
For example, (2 + 3) + 4 is the same as 2 + (3 + 4).
Repeated Addition
Sometimes a math problem involves adding the same number multiple times. We call this repeated addition, and it's a way to find the product of two numbers where one of the numbers is repeated a certain number of times.
Repeated addition is handy for helping students understand multiplication. After all, multiplication can be thought of as repeated addition.
Cartoon plus sign
What Is Partial Sums Addition?
If you know what a sum is, you're halfway to understanding partial sums addition! This maths vocabulary term refers to adding two or more numbers by breaking apart the addends and adding the value of the digits in each place value position from right to left.
This handy strategy is great for students when they are first learning to add two or more numbers. Partial sums addition breaks down the process of addition into smaller, more manageable steps.
Let's look at an example.
If you have the 36 + 27 and want to use partial sums addition, you start by determining the value of the digits in the ones place, adding them together, and writing down the sum (6 + 7 = 13).
Next, add the value of the tens place digits together (30 + 20 = 50), and write down the answer under the previous sum. Add together the two partial sums to get your answer, 63.
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Addition Detectives PowerPoint
An engaging 43-slide PowerPoint styled as a detective story in which students are tasked with using different addition strategies to uncover suspects.
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Bridging to Ten PowerPoint
A 14-slide PowerPoint that uses engaging animations to step students through the 'bridging to ten' addition strategy.
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Fact Families (Addition and Subtraction) Interactive Activity
Use this fact family houses resource to teach and practise addition and subtraction fact families with your students.
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Place Value to the Thousands Place - Maths Mats
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction with a printable set of place value charts.
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Addition Strategies: Make a Ten Worksheet
A 2-page worksheet that uses ten frames to model the “making ten” addition strategy.
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Adding 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practise 2-digit addition with regrouping with this drill and practice worksheet.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 10-50)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty word problems that contain numbers 10–50.
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Fact Family Houses Worksheet Pack
Use these fact family houses worksheet set to practise addition and subtraction fact families with your students.
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Split Strategy Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition split strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 1-50)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty word problems that contain numbers 1–50.
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Split Strategy Worksheet
Practise using the split strategy when adding two-digit numbers with this worksheet.
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Word Problem Worksheets - Year 5 and Year 6
4 mixed operations word problem worksheets with answers.
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Maths Symbols Posters with Vocabulary
A set of posters depicting the vocabulary related to each mathematical operation.
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Compensation Strategy Teaching PowerPoint
Teach your students to use the compensation strategy for addition with an interactive teaching slide deck.
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Making Ten Activity Mat
A template that encourages students to demonstrate multiple ways to make 10.
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Missing Addend Avenue - Find the Missing Number Worksheet
Practise using various subtraction strategies with a fun dice-roll math maze.
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Bridge to Ten Addition Strategy Task Cards
Help students quickly bridge to ten to assist with their addition strategies using linking cubes.
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Mental Maths Addition Posters
Use this set of addition posters in your classroom when teaching different mental maths strategies.
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One More, One Less - Worksheet
Practise foundational addition and subtraction facts using the concepts of one more and one less.
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Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Determine the value of an unknown variable in an equation with printable Emoji Maths Riddle task cards.
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Rainbow Facts Matching Activity
Practise number bonds with this fun rainbow-themed hands-on activity.
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Addition Strategies Posters
Create an addition strategies display"for your students with this set of classroom posters.
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Addition Strategy - Counting On Worksheet
Solve addition problems in this 2-page Counting On Addition Worksheet.
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Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping - Anchor Charts
Break down the steps to use regrouping to find a solution with an addition and a subtraction poster.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals Year 6 Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting decimals to the hundredths place with this worksheet.
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Maths Mazes (Friends of Ten)
A set of friends of ten mazes where students find missing addends to solve the maze.
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Number Talks - Three-Digit Addition Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Hundreds Board Mystery Picture Addition Task Cards
A set of 32 activity task cards that require students to complete addition problems and colour in a hundreds chart to reveal a mystery picture.
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Addition Worm – Worksheet
Build your students' addition skills with this fun set of differentiated worksheets.
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Addition by Regrouping Classroom Poster
Learn the steps to addition with regrouping with this simple classroom poster.
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Part Part Whole Word Problem Task Cards and Worksheet
Explore these animal-themed part-part-whole word problems that will open discussions with your young mathematicians.
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Partitioning Teaching Presentation
Introduce the partitioning strategy to your students with this teaching presentation.