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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Plus One and Minus One Math Machine Worksheet
A worksheet to practise generating a number that is one more than or one less than another number.
- Plus Plan
Number Talks - Fluency to 20 Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Number Ladders
Blank number ladders with space for sums.
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Double Plus 1 – Game Boards
30 game boards to use when working with near doubles.
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Spooky Sums Tarsia Puzzle – 3-Digit Addition
Practice three-digit addition skills with a Halloween pumpkin tarsia puzzle.
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Addition Strategies Task Cards
Practise using the jump strategy, split strategy, compensation strategy and 100s chart strategy with this set of task cards.
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Addition Strategies Exit Tickets
Assess student knowledge of different addition strategies with these printable exit tickets.
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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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Number Talks - Double Digit Addition Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Missing Addends Addition Worksheet
Build addition strategies with this worksheet where students need to identify the missing addend and matching subtraction sum.
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Pizza-Themed Near Doubles Task Cards
Practise quick recall of near doubles facts with this cute pizza-themed task cards activity.
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Adding within 1000 Bar Model Match Up Activity
Practise using the bar diagram to add numbers within 1000 with this match up 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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Adding Within 100 - Bar Model Match-Up Activity
Practise using the bar model to add numbers within 100 with this match-up activity.
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Bunny Number Lines - Addition and Subtraction Task Cards
Hop like a bunny to practise addition and subtraction on a number line.
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Making Ten Cut and Paste Worksheet
A cut-and-paste worksheet to practise finding the missing addend when making ten.
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Making Ten Memory Game
Practise making ten using ten frames with this fun memory game.
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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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Counting On Bingo
Practise counting on strategies with this bingo game.
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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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Rearranging Parts Worksheet
Rearrange the parts of a sum to form new number sentences with this worksheet.
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The Addition Quest – Whole Class Game
Find the hidden gems and place their numbers into the correct positions on the worksheet to solve the sums.
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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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Addition Strategies Worksheet
A worksheet to use when consolidating multiple addition strategies.
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Missing Addend Addition Picture Puzzle – Level 1
Build simple addition skills with this missing addends worksheet.
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Addition Match-Up Puzzles
A set of 15 match-up cards to scaffold work with addition word problems.
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Roll and Colour Worksheet - One More, One Less
An interactive worksheet to practise finding the number that is 1 more and 1 less than a given number.
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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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Colouring by Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Equation Tails Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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Dodging Equations Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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Parts of a Number Sentence (Addition and Subtraction) Posters
Display these posters when learning about parts of addition and subtraction number sentences