Addition Strategies Teaching Resources
Make teaching addition strategies easier this school year with worksheets, printables, math games, and more created by elementary teachers for elementary teachers like you.
Aligned with both TEKS and the Common Core Math curriculum standards, the digital and printable teacher resources in this collection cover a range of grade levels, so you can find just what you need for your lesson plans. Whether you're teaching kindergartners how to count on, explaining the commutative property to your 3rd grade class or working on your students' front-end estimation skills, we've got you covered!
Has it been a while since you taught math, or at least this particular part of the curriculum? Our teacher team knows a quarter of American teachers switch grades every year, and sometimes you could use a quick refresher.
What Are Addition Strategies?
Using strategies in math teaches students to think flexibly about numbers and will help them develop automaticity. So, what does it mean in the context of addition?
The term addition strategies refers to the different methods and techniques that can be used by our students to solve addition problems.
These strategies are an important part of developing fluency and building a deeper conceptual understanding — not to mention more efficient than counting as students flex their math muscles!
6 Addition Strategy Examples That Can Help Elementary Students Build Fluency
Looking for examples of some of the addition strategies that can help put your students on the path to a more procedural model? Here are a few that can be used side by side:
Counting On Strategy
Kindergarten and 1st graders can start with the larger number and count on from there to begin mastering addition.
Counting On Strategy Example — If students want to find the sum of 7 + 3, they would start with 7 and count on 3 more (8, 9, 10).
Making 10
Finding ways to make one of the numbers a multiple of 10 and then adding the remaining number is a simple but effective strategy to help first and second graders build fluency.
Making 10 Strategy Example — If your student is looking to find the sum of 7 + 4, they could make 7 into 10 by adding 3 and have 1 left to add on.
Doubles Strategy
The doubles strategy for addition is based on the fact that adding a number to itself is the same as doubling that number.
Double Strategy Example — To add 8 + 7, one can think of it as 7 + 7 (which equals 14) and then add one more to get 8 + 7 = 15.
Number Bonds
Number bonds involve breaking the problem down into smaller parts that can be added together.
Number Bonds Strategy Example — To find the sum of 7 + 3, you could think of the problem as (5 + 2) + 3.
Place Value
This strategy involves breaking down numbers into their individual digits and adding them one column at a time, starting with the ones place, then the tens place, etc.
Mental Math
Using mental math as an addition strategy involves rounding, front-end estimation and compensation.
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Christmas Math Worksheets - Sums to 12 Activity
Practice finding number bonds and sums to 12 using printable Christmas Math worksheets for first grade.
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Double Facts Math Charts - Addition Rhyme Posters
Help your students remember their doubles facts to twenty with a set of printable double facts addition rhyme posters.
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Find 20 Addition Strategy Task Cards
Practice finding 20 with this set of linking cube task cards.
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Addition Within 100 Bar Model Worksheet
Explore using the bar model to add numbers within 100 with this simple worksheet for your Year 2 students.
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Ten Frame Printable Templates
Use these printable ten frames in various math lessons to reinforce number sense and other essential skills.
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Bridge to Ten Addition Strategy Task Cards
Help students quickly bridge to ten to assist with their addition strategies using linking cubes.
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Addition Strategies Cheat Sheet
Help students understand the different addition strategies with this helpful cheat sheet.
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Kindergarten Math Activity - Christmas Addition Facts Up to 10 Puzzle
Review addition facts up to 10 with a printable Christmas math activity for Kindergarten.
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Making Ten Activity
Practice making 10 using objects, pictorial models, and number sentences with this activity mat.
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Break Apart Addition Strategy Interactive Activity
Practice using the addition break apart strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Part-Part-Whole Addition and Subtraction Worksheets
Reinforce your students' understanding of how a strip diagram is used to solve 1-digit addition and subtraction number facts using the part-part-whole strategy.
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Printable Blank Number Line - 0-120
Create personal number lines for use in math lessons with a printable blank number line template for numbers from 1-120.
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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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Tens Frame - Addition and Subtraction Match-Up Activity
Build addition and subtraction skills with two tens frame matching games.
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Change It! – Addition to 20 Hands-On Activity
Practice addition to 20 by rearranging the parts of whole numbers into different combinations with this hands-on math activity.
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Counting On Game
Engage your students with this fun and colorful counting on game that gives your students practice with the “counting on” addition strategy.
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Adding Numbers Game Board: Making Ten Board Game
Introduce this Adding Numbers Game Board: Making Ten board game to your students to give them the practice using the “make a ten” addition strategy.
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Arrays and Repeated Addition Interactive Task Cards
Use our arrays and repeated addition interactive task cards to introduce multiplication in a way your learners will more easily understand.
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Modeling Addition Word Problem Worksheets
Encourage modeling with these addition word problem worksheets that provide practice with real-world addition scenarios.
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Addition Strategy Mats
Practice using a variety of addition strategies to add 2-digit numbers.
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Addition within 20 Interactive Resource
Practice solving one-digit and two-digit addition problems using a variety of addition strategies with this interactive activity.
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Double Dinos - Using Doubles Facts to Add Near Doubles Worksheet
Practice the “near doubles” addition strategy to solve addition problems to 20.
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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 two-digit addition problems.
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Break Apart Addition Strategy Mini Book
Use this mini-book to help your students learn how to use the break apart strategy to solve two-digit addition problems.
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Adding within 1,000 Strip Diagram Match Up Activity
Practice using the strip diagram to add numbers within 1,000 with this match up activity.
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Turnaround Facts Flip Flop Task Cards
Develop number sense with addition turnaround facts to 20 with these cute flip flop fact task cards.
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Addition on a Number Line - Jump Strategy Slide Deck
Teach your students to add two-digit numbers using the jump strategy with an instructional teaching presentation.
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Counting On – Word Problem Worksheet
Practice adding within 20 by using the counting on strategy to solve word problems.
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Counting On Bingo
Engage your students with a whole class bingo game while using the counting-on strategy to add within 20.
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Making Ten Memory Game
Practice making ten using ten frames with this fun memory game.
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Addition Strategies Worksheet
A worksheet to use when reviewing different addition strategies.
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Linking Addition and Subtraction Worksheet
Explore the relationship between addition and subtraction with a fact family worksheet.