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.
- Plus Plan
Dinosaur Maths - Addition & Subtraction - V2
Solve the addition and subtraction sums to colour in the dinosaur.
- Plus Plan
Split Strategy Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition split strategy with this fun interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping - Anchor Charts
Break down the steps to use regrouping to find a solution with an addition and a subtraction poster.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
Split Strategy Worksheet
Practise using the split strategy when adding two-digit numbers with this worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Interactive Maths Review – Activities for Years 5, 6 and 7
Review important maths concepts covered in years 5, 6 and 7 with a student-led interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Addition Strategies Worksheet
A worksheet to use when consolidating multiple addition strategies.
- Plus Plan
Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction (Middle)
Addition and subtraction game cards demonstrating the relationship between fact families.
- Plus Plan
Secret Code Number Line - Worksheet
Crack the number line code with five number line codebreaker worksheets to practice number identification, addition, and subtraction.
- Plus Plan
Missing Addend Avenue - Find the Missing Number Worksheet
Practise using various subtraction strategies with a fun dice-roll math maze.
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Addition Strategies Posters
Create an addition strategies display"for your students with this set of classroom posters.
- Plus Plan
Bridging to Ten PowerPoint
A 14-slide PowerPoint that uses engaging animations to step students through the 'bridging to ten' addition strategy.
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Number Talks - Balancing Equations Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 40 task cards.
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Double Bubble - Doubling Game
A fun, interactive maths game for students to play when doubling numbers from 1 to 12.
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Hop on Number Lines - Worksheet Pack
Hop your way to addition mastery with a pack of two addition on a number line worksheets.
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The Addition Algorithm – Teaching Presentation
Use this editable interactive teaching presentation with your students when explaining how to use the addition algorithm with regrouping.
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Counting On: Addition Strategy Worksheet
Practise the “counting on” addition strategy to solve addition problems to 20.
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Part-Part-Whole - Addition and Subtraction Teaching Presentation
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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Addition Detectives PowerPoint
An engaging 43-slide PowerPoint styled as a detective story in which students are tasked with using different addition strategies to uncover suspects.
- Free Plan
Addition Strategies: Using Doubles Worksheet
Consolidate your students' understanding of the 'near doubles' addition strategy with this basic worksheet.
- Free Plan
Addition Worm – Worksheet
Build your students' addition skills with this fun set of differentiated worksheets.
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Hundreds Board Mystery Picture Addition Task Cards
A set of 32 activity task cards that require students to complete addition problems and colour in a hundreds chart to reveal a mystery picture.
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Jump Strategy Addition Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition jump strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Maths Symbols Posters with Vocabulary
A set of posters depicting the vocabulary related to each mathematical operation.
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Compensation Strategy Addition Mini Book
Use this mini-book to help your students learn how to use the compensation strategy to solve addition sums.
- Free Plan
Addition Strategy - Counting On Worksheet
Solve addition problems in this 2-page Counting On Addition Worksheet.
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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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Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction (Upper)
Addition and subtraction game cards demonstrating the relationship between fact families.
- Plus Plan
Addition by Regrouping Classroom Poster
Learn the steps to addition with regrouping with this simple classroom poster.
- Free Plan
Missing Addends to 10 – Flashcards
Practise all the ways to make ten with this set of flashcards.
- Plus Plan
Missing Addends Addition Worksheet
Build addition strategies with this worksheet where students need to identify the missing addend and matching subtraction sum.
- Plus Plan
Printable Maths Mats - Graphic Organisers
Practice working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organisers.