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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Making Ten Activity Mat
A template that encourages students to demonstrate multiple ways to make 10.
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Adding with the Bar Model Cut and Paste Worksheet
Practise adding two digit numbers using the bar model with this cut and paste worksheet.
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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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Interactive Maths Review – Activities for Years 5, 6 and 7
Review important maths concepts covered in years 5, 6 and 7 with a student-led interactive activity.
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Counting On – Word Problems
Extend students with this counting on word problem worksheet.
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Make Ten Worksheet
Practise early addition strategies of making ten with this worksheet.
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Addition Worm – Worksheet
Build your students' addition skills with this fun set of differentiated worksheets.
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Maths Action Words – Keyword Sign Free Printables
Help your students decipher maths word problems with a set of printable maths keyword sign free printables.
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Money Word Problems Addition and Subtraction Board Game
Download this money word problems addition and subtraction board game for a fun way to practise double-digit operations using real-world scenarios.
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Pizza Maths Fact Fluency Trackers
Motivate and inspire students to learn their maths facts with printable maths fact fluency trackers.
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Rainbow Number Facts Board Game
A fun, hands-on board game to consolidate students' understanding of the 'Friends of 10'.
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Missing Addends to 10 – Flashcards
Practise all the ways to make ten with this set of flashcards.
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Jump Strategy Addition Mini Book
Use this mini-book to help your students learn how to use the jump strategy to solve addition sums.
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Blast Off Addition Strategy Interactive Activity
Practise four different addition strategies in this fun space-themed interactive activity.
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Split Strategy Addition Dominoes
A set of addition dominoes to use in the classroom when applying the split strategy.
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10 More, 10 Less Differentiated Mazes
Delight your students with this maze challenge, to practise calculating 10 more or 10 less than a value within 120.
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Mystery Pattern Grids (Addition)
Solve addition sums and interpret grid coordinates to reveal the picture.
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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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Addition Bingo – Numbers 0–50
32 different bingo cards using addition and numbers from 0-50.
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Addition Strategies Exit Tickets
Assess student knowledge of different addition strategies with these printable exit tickets.
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Addition within 20 Interactive Resource
Practise solving one-digit and two-digit addition problems using a variety of addition strategies with this interactive activity.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers on Number Lines - Worksheet
Help your students learn to add and subtract integers on a number line with a printable adding and subtracting integers worksheet.
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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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Making Ten Memory Game
Practise making ten using ten frames with this fun memory game.
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Counting On Fact Families Worksheet
Begin from the larger number and count on to find the total with this worksheet.
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Addition Strategies: Base-Ten Blocks Worksheet
Practice using the strategy of using base-10 blocks and regrouping to find the sum.
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Missing Addend Addition Picture Puzzle – Level 2
Consolidate students’ addition skills with this missing addends worksheet.
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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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Hands and Numbers 1-10 Counting Activity Template
Teach counting from 1 to 10 and one-to-one correspondence with a creative (and free) printable activity.
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Making a Ten Board Game
Introduce this Making a Ten board game to your students to give them practise using the ‘make a ten’ addition strategy.
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Build a Board Game – Maths STEM Project
Improve maths skills and spark creativity by having students plan, design, and create their own maths-based board games.
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Number Talks - Double Digit Addition Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.