Addition
Addition practice in six steps, from 2 + 3 to adding four numbers under 100: the small sums by heart first, then crossing ten, then tens and ones.
- Addition to 5Adding to 5 practice, from 1 + 1 to 2 + 3 = 5: plus 1 first, then filling in the gap, then plus and minus mixed, until the sums come without counting.
- Addition to 10Adding to 10 practice, from 6 + 1 to 4 + 3 + 1 = 8: two numbers first, then three or four numbers and balance sums, then mixed, with number bonds to 10.
- Addition to 20Adding to 20 practice, from 13 + 4 to 13 + 7 = 20: sums within the ten first, then sums that cross ten, then three or four numbers and balance sums.
- Addition to 30Adding to 30 practice, from 25 + 1 to 18 + 12 = 30: crossing the second ten, then three or four numbers and balance sums, then everything mixed.
- Addition to 50Adding to 50 practice, from 35 + 4 to 27 + 7 = 34: tens and ones as building blocks, crossing every ten, then three or four numbers and balance sums.
- Addition to 100Adding to 100 practice, from 87 + 4 to 34 + 46 = 80: a single digit first, then two 2-digit numbers with and without crossing ten, and number bonds to 100.
How it fits together
The arrows point to what can be done next. Whatever sits inside a box belongs to it.
first this, then that belongs to
Why it matters
Addition is the first operation a child learns, and it sits underneath almost everything that follows. Subtraction is addition backwards, multiplication is repeated addition, and even adding fractions relies on the same habit: first look at what belongs together.
How to approach it
Each step asks for something new. To 5 and to 10, it is about knowing the small sums by heart. To 20 comes the jump over ten. After that it is mostly working with tens and ones, and sums with more than two numbers. Moving on only when the previous step is really fluent saves a lot of struggling later.