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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Doubles - Number Facts Board Game
A fun hands-on game students can play to consolidate their knowledge of doubles.
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Cut & Paste Fact Family Worksheets
Use these fact family houses worksheet set to practise addition and subtraction fact families with your students, as well as fine motor skills.
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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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Adding and Subtracting Integers - Tarsia Puzzle
Practise adding and subtracting integers with a printable Tarsia puzzle!
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Counting On Bingo
Practise counting on strategies with this bingo game.
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Estimating Decimal Sum and Differences — Year 6 Maths Mazes
Year 6 students can practise estimating solutions to decimal addition and subtraction equations with this set of maths mazes.
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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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Addition Match-Up Puzzles
A set of 15 match-up cards to scaffold work with addition word problems.
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The Addition Labyrinth – Maths Game
A dynamic addition board game for the classroom.
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Rainbow Number Fact Cards
Practise rainbow facts with these fun fact families to ten posters for your classroom!
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Double Plus One - Grid Worksheet
A fun worksheet to help students demonstrate their understanding of near doubles.
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Double Plus 1 – Game Boards
30 game boards to use when working with near doubles.
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Operation Domination Game
A fun game using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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Addition to 1000 Sunflower Interactive Activity
Practise solving addition problems using a variety of addition strategies with this interactive activity.
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Hundreds Chart Strategy Addition Mini Book
Use this mini-book to help your students learn how to use the hundreds chart as a strategy to solve addition sums.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals — Small Group Bingo Game
Review how to add and subtract decimals with a printable small group bingo game.
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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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Order of Operations – Interactive Activity
Solve expressions by using the order of operations with this interactive activity.
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Addition and Subtraction with Decimals – Task Cards
Practise adding and subtracting multi-digit decimals with this set of 16 task cards.
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Word Problem Task Cards – 2-Digit + 1-Digit Addition
Practise adding 2-Digit and 1-Digit numbers with this set of 16 word problem task cards.
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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.
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Missing Addend Addition Picture Puzzle – Level 1
Build simple addition skills with this missing addends worksheet.
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Maths Mazes (Two-digit Addition)
A set of three mazes that require students to add two-digit numbers.
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Numbers and Symbols Mini Flashcards
Print a set of colourful number and symbol cards for various maths lessons.
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Colouring by Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Number Matching Puzzle - Addition
A hands-on game to play when learning about adding numbers.
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Plan a Halloween Party – Estimation Project
Plan your own Halloween party and practice estimating sums, differences and products of whole numbers and decimals with an engaging maths project!
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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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Addition Within 100 Bar Model - Interactive Mystery Picture
Take a deep dive using the bar model for addition within 100 with this fun mystery reveal interactive activity.
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Colourful Tens Frames
Print a colourful set of tens frames to enhance your small group maths lessons.
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Christmas Activity Mazes – Addition and Subtraction
Navigate these Christmas maze worksheets with some simple addition and subtraction to keep those minds active!