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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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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Split Strategy Worksheet
Practise using the split strategy when adding two-digit numbers with this worksheet.
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Compensation Strategy Addition Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition compensation strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Adding within 100 Bar Model Task Cards
Practise using the bar model to add numbers within 100 with this set of task cards.
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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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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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Colourful Tens Frames
Print a colourful set of tens frames to enhance your small group maths lessons.
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Jump Strategy Addition Game
Practise using the jump strategy for multi-digit addition with a fun maths game.
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Digital Pixel Art - Adding and Subtracting Integers
Practise adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers with an exciting spreadsheet pixel art activity.
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Ten is a Match! - Memory-Style Game
Practise matching rainbow facts, or two numbers that add up to 10, with this set of 24 number cards.
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Counting On Bingo
Practise counting on strategies with this bingo 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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Partitioning Teaching Presentation
Introduce the partitioning strategy to your students with this teaching presentation.
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Adding 2-Digit Numbers Task Cards
Practice adding 2-digit numbers with this set of 18 number sentence task cards.
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Addition Worm – Worksheet
Build your students' addition skills with this fun set of differentiated worksheets.
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Ice Cream Addition Activity
A cute ice cream-themed addition activity.
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Teddy Tables – Addition and Sharing Game
A hands-on maths game that focuses on practical addition using teddy bear counters.
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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 - Three-Digit Addition Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Number Talks - Fluency to 20 Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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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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Number Ladders
Blank number ladders with space for sums.
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Operation Domination Game
A fun game using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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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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Counting On Game - Counting On 1
Play counting on games like this Counting On 1 board game to engage your early learners as they learn to add by counting on one.
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Friends of 10 Addition Poster Bundle
Print the ultimate Friends of 10 poster bundle with 10 printable classroom posters designed to show students how different combinations of numbers connect to make the same number.
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Combinations of 10 and 20 Posters
Easily recognise combinations of 10 and combinations of 20 with this visual poster set.
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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 Facts - Zero-Tail Game
Practise rainbow number facts when solving addition problems involving two-digit numbers with this fun game.
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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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Hundreds Chart Addition Strategy Interactive Activity
Practise using the hundreds chart as an addition strategy with this fun interactive activity.