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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Rainbow Number Fact Cards
Practise rainbow facts with these fun fact families to ten posters for your classroom!
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Polygon Puzzles - Addition Worksheets with Answers
Line the sum up with the corresponding answer.
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Christmas Maths Worksheets - Sums to 12 Activity
Practise finding number bonds and sums to 12 using printable Christmas Maths worksheets for Year 1.
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Christmas Maths - Roll, Add and Colour Worksheets
Roll, add and colour your way to addition fact mastery with a se tof printable Christmas Maths worksheets.
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Double-Digit Addition - Maths Task Cards
Practise adding 2-digit numbers with this set of 18 double-digit addition task cards.
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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 Strategy Mats
Practise using a variety of addition strategies to add 2-digit numbers.
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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 addition sums.
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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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Compensation Strategy Addition Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition compensation strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Adding and Subtracting Within 10 - Word Problem Task Cards
Solve word problems practising addition and subtraction to ten with a set of printable task cards.
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Number Line Task Cards - Superhero Addition and Subtraction Activity
Fly through addition and subtraction on a number line with an exciting Number Line Superhero task card 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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Addition and Subtraction to 10 Modelling Mats
A hands-on resource to enable your students to practise simple addition and subtraction using concrete materials.
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Counting On Fact Families Worksheet
Begin from the larger number and count on to find the total 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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Christmas Activity Mazes – Addition and Subtraction
Navigate these Christmas maze worksheets with some simple addition and subtraction to keep those minds active!
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Addition and Subtraction with Decimals – Task Cards
Practise adding and subtracting multi-digit decimals with this set of 16 task cards.
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Bump! – Addition to 10 Game
An addition board game to help consolidate facts to ten.
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Operations of Four Maths Machine Worksheet
A worksheet to use when practising addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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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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Doubles to Twenty
A set of 20 posters to help students remember double numbers to ten.
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Build a Board Game – Maths STEM Project
Challenge students to design and make a maths board game.
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Rainbow Numbers Worksheet
A worksheet using rainbow numbers.
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Doubles Subtraction – Number Facts Board Game
A fun, hands-on game students can play to consolidate their knowledge of doubles subtraction.
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Double Minus One - Dice Roll Worksheet
A worksheet to help students demonstrate their understanding of near doubles.
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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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Combinations of 10 and 20 Posters
Easily recognise combinations of 10 and combinations of 20 with this visual poster set.
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Year 1 Halloween Addition Game - Roll-a-Potion
Roll and add to create a magic potion, then draw it in the cauldron with a printable Year 1 Halloween game.
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Halloween Addition Worksheets
Count on to solve spooky addition problems in this 2-page Halloween Addition Worksheet.
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Hundreds Chart Strategy Addition Worksheet Pack
Practise using the hundreds chart strategy with this worksheet set.