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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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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Adding within 1000 Expanded Form Worksheet
Practise using the split strategy by working through this expanded form addition worksheet.
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Rainbow Facts - Zero-Tail Game
Practise rainbow number facts when solving addition problems involving two-digit numbers with this fun game.
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Number Talk Task Cards - Ten Frames
Build number sense skills with this set of 30 ten and double ten frame maths talk task cards.
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Rainbow Numbers Worksheet
A worksheet using rainbow numbers.
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Near Doubles - Number Facts Board Game
A fun hands-on game students can play to consolidate their knowledge of near doubles.
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Making Ten Activity Mat
A template that encourages students to demonstrate multiple ways to make 10.
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Split Strategy Addition Mini Book
Use this mini-book to help your students learn how to use the split strategy to solve addition sums.
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Compensation Strategy Addition Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition compensation strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Maths Mazes (Addition and Subtraction)
A set of puzzling mazes that require addition and subtraction skills to solve.
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Number Talks - Making Numbers Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 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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Operation Domination Game
A fun game using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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Hundreds Chart Addition Strategy Interactive Activity
Practise using the hundreds chart as an addition strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Partitioning Teaching Presentation
Introduce the partitioning strategy to your students with this teaching presentation.
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4-Digit Place Value Card Game - Race to 10 000
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of adding and subtracting in groups of 10, 100 and 1000.
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Addition and Subtraction to 10 Modelling Mats
A hands-on resource to enable your students to practise simple addition and subtraction using concrete materials.
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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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Number Talks - Making Ten Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Doubles to Twenty
A set of 20 posters to help students remember double numbers to ten.
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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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Fact Families Maths Group Activity
Use this hands-on addition and subtraction strategy activity in your next guided math group lesson!
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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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Split Strategy Addition Dominoes
A set of addition dominoes to use in the classroom when applying the split strategy.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers - Tarsia Puzzle
Practise adding and subtracting integers with a printable Tarsia puzzle!
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Number Line Task Cards - Superhero Addition and Subtraction Activity
Fly through addition and subtraction on a number line with an exciting Number Line Superhero task card activity.
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Counting On Cover Up Game
Practise the counting-on strategy with this fun cover-the-board game.
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Addition Maze – Dog and Bone Worksheet
A worksheet to use to practise finding missing addends.
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Equation Tails Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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Doubles - Number Facts Board Game
A fun hands-on game students can play to consolidate their knowledge of doubles.
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Double Plus 1 – Game Boards
30 game boards to use when working with near doubles.
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Addition Strategy Mats
Practise using a variety of addition strategies to add 2-digit numbers.