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
Addition Strategies: Make a Ten Worksheet
A 2-page worksheet that uses ten frames to model the “making ten” addition strategy.
- 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.
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Order of Operations Dice Game
A set of 6 order of operations dice activity mats.
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Addition Strategies Posters
Create an addition strategies display"for your students with this set of classroom posters.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 1-50)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty word problems that contain numbers 1–50.
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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 and Place Value Worksheets - Year 2
14 number worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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2-Digit Number of the Day Warm-Up PowerPoint
Review various 2-digit maths concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Printable Maths Mats - Graphic Organisers
Practice working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organisers.
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Missing Addend Avenue - Find the Missing Number Worksheet
Practise using various subtraction strategies with a fun dice-roll math maze.
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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.
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Picture Addition Worksheet
A worksheet consolidating students' understanding of combining groups of items.
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Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Determine the value of an unknown variable in an equation with printable Emoji Maths Riddle task cards.
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Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction (Upper)
Addition and subtraction game cards demonstrating the relationship between fact families.
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Using Partitioning to Add Two-Digit Numbers - Poster and Worksheet
A poster and 2 worksheets relating to partitioning numbers.
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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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Addition Strategies Exit Tickets
Assess student knowledge of different addition strategies with these printable exit tickets.
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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.
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Jump Strategy Addition Interactive Activity
Practise using the addition jump strategy with this fun interactive activity.
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Dinosaur Maths - Addition & Subtraction - V2
Solve the addition and subtraction sums to colour in the dinosaur.
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Five Wonders Theme Park: Induction Booklet – Project
A project where students study the Five Wonders Theme Park stimulus poster to understand and use real world learning skills.
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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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Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction (Middle)
Addition and subtraction game cards demonstrating the relationship between fact families.
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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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Adding with the Bar Model Cut and Paste Worksheet
Practise adding two digit numbers using the bar model with this cut and paste worksheet.
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Friends of 10 Addition Poster Bundle
Print the ultimate Friends of 10 poster bundle with 10 printable classroom posters designed to show students how different combinations of numbers connect to make the same number.
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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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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.
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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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Counting On Teaching Presentation
Introduce the early addition concept of ‘counting on’ to your students with this teaching presentation.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 1-9)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty single-digit word problems.