Addition

Once your child is competent with counting and writing numbers one to twenty you may want to progress to simple addition. Children need time to develop strategies for adding two sets of objects, so using buttons, shells, counters or beads can aid understanding through practical examples.

Simple steps to develop addition:

Start by focusing on addition to five.
Begin by using marbles, counters, shells or perhaps your child's favourite small toys.
Explain that addition involves finding the total or 'how many we have altogether'.
Provide opportunities and support your child to count two sets of objects which total five.
Progress by modelling and explaining the concept of 'counting on' by encouraging your child to start with the larger number of objects and count on the addend to get the total. For example, with the number sentence 4 + 1, ask your child to identify the larger number (4) and count on one (1) to find the total.
Using a whiteboard model how we record a number sentence and explain the 'plus' or 'add' symbol (+)
Record number sentences to represent the different ways of making five.
Arrange the objects on the whiteboard to correspond with the written number sentence. This will aid understanding.
Now provide your child with opportunities to write their own number sentences.
Use a child sized whiteboard and marker pen, so your child can easily erase any mistakes.
Encourage your child to try to record their own number sentence to correspond with two sets of objects. For example, two counters plus one counter makes three counters. Support your child to write the number sentence, 2 + 1 = 3.
Challenge your child to record other number sentences which make the sum of five, using counters to help them.
Once your child is competent with addition to five, support them to progress to addition to 10, and subsequently 20.