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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Addition Strategies Cheat Sheet
Help students understand the different addition strategies with this helpful cheat sheet.
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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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Ten Frame - Printable Templates
Print a set of 10 blank ten frames to use in various math lessons.
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Bunny Number Lines - Addition and Subtraction Task Cards
Hop down the number line with the Easter Bunny to practice addition and subtraction on a number line.
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Printable Number Line 0–30
Make counting a visual experience with this set of 4 multi-purpose 0–30 printable number lines.
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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 Strategies Exit Tickets
Assess student knowledge of different addition strategies with these printable exit tickets.
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Adding within 1,000 Mystery Image Reveal Worksheet
Practice using the strip diagram to add within 1,000 with this fun mystery picture reveal activity.
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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 equations.
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Part-Part-Whole - Addition and Subtraction Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to effectively use a bar model 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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Secret Code Number Line - Worksheet
Crack the number line code with five number line codebreaker worksheets to practice number identification, addition, and subtraction.
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Addition Strategy - Counting On Worksheet
Solve addition problems in this 2-page Counting On Addition Worksheet.
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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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Hide-a-Turkey Kindergarten Math Worksheet
Hide the turkeys and practice sums to ten with a fun Thanksgiving math worksheet for Kindergarten.
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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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Double-Digit Addition Strategies Posters
Remind your students to use different addition strategies with a set of printable two-digit addition strategies.
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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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Adding within 1,000 Expanded Form Worksheet
Practice using the break apart strategy by working through this addition worksheet.
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Break Apart Strategy Worksheet
Practice using the break apart strategy when adding two-digit numbers with this worksheet.
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Adding within 1000 Addition Strategy Task Cards
Practice using a number of addition strategies to add numbers within 1000 with this set of task cards.
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Jump Strategy - Number Line Addition Worksheet
Practice adding two-digit numbers with regrouping using a number line and the jump strategy with a printable number line worksheet.
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Making 10 – Worksheet
Practice the addition strategy of making ten with this math worksheet.
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Counting On – Instructional Slide Deck
Introduce the early addition concept of “counting on” to your students with this set of teaching slides.
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Mental Math Addition Posters
Use this set of addition posters in your classroom when teaching different mental math strategies.
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Addition Detectives - Interactive Math Game
An engaging 43-slide PowerPoint themed as a detective story in which students are tasked with using different addition strategies to reveal suspects.
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Addition Strategies: Make a Ten Worksheet
A 2-page worksheet that uses ten frames to model the “making ten” addition strategy.
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Math Mazes – Making Ten
A set of mazes where students find missing addends to solve the maze.
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Making Ten Teaching Slide Deck
A 14-slide PowerPoint that uses engaging animations to walk students through the 'making ten' addition strategy.
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Making 10 Number Bonds - Worksheet
A worksheet to practice the addition strategy of making 10.
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Addition Strategy - Decompose, Then Make 10 Worksheet
Build addition strategies using digits 1-10 with this two-page decomposing numbers worksheet.
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Friends of... 1 to 10 - Black and White Version
A set of 10 posters showing the different combinations to make the numbers 1 to 10.