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 math problems.
This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team for elementary teachers. Each of the curriculum-aligned resources has been carefully reviewed and curated by our expert teachers to make sure 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 math operation that's easy for them to understand!
Addition is a math 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 for Kids to Learn
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 off 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.
In the equation 2 + 3 = 5, for example, 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 math 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 math 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 to use with 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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Addition Algorithm PowerPoint Presentation
Use this editable interactive teaching presentation with your students when explaining how to use the addition algorithm with regrouping.
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Christmas Math Worksheets - Sums to 12 Activity
Practice finding number bonds and sums to 12 using printable Christmas Math worksheets for first grade.
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Compensation Strategy for Addition Interactive Slide Deck
Teach your students to use the compensation strategy for addition with an interactive teaching slide deck.
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Find 20 Addition Strategy Task Cards
Practice finding 20 with this set of linking cube task cards.
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Double-Digit Addition Strategies Posters
Remind your students to use different addition strategies with a set of printable two-digit addition strategies.
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Hundreds Chart Strategy Addition Worksheet Pack
Practice using the hundreds chart strategy to solve addition problems with this worksheet set.
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Pizza-Themed Near Doubles Task Cards
Practice quick recall of near doubles facts with this cute pizza-themed task cards activity.
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Addition and Subtraction Mat - Apple Tree
Solve addition and subtraction problems up to 10 with a hands-on apple math center.
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Part-Part-Whole - Addition and Subtraction Teaching Slides
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 and Subtraction on a Number Line - Superhero Math Activity
Fly through addition and subtraction on a number line with an exciting Number Line Hero task card activity.
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Easter Literacy and Math Centers - Digital Learning Activity
Lost the lesson-planning stress this Easter season with an exciting no-prep digital Easter Literacy and Math center.
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Football Tarsia Puzzle - 2 Digit Addition
Print and assemble a football-themed tarsia puzzle to use when practicing two-digit addition skills.
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Counting On with Number Bonds – Worksheet
Begin from the larger number and count on to find the total with this worksheet.
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Addition Detectives - Interactive Math Game
An engaging 43-slide PowerPoint themed as a detective story in which students are tasked with using different addition strategies to reveal suspects.
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Addition Strategies: Using Doubles Worksheet
Practice the doubles addition strategy to solve addition problems to 20.
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Addition Strategies: Make a Ten Worksheet
A 2-page worksheet that uses ten frames to model the “making ten” addition strategy.
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Addition Strategies: Base-Ten Blocks Worksheet
Practice using the strategy of using base-10 blocks and regrouping to find the sum.
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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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Friends of... 1 to 10 Addition Poster
A set of 10 posters showing how different combinations of numbers connect to make the same number.
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Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture - Addition Task Cards
Practice adding single and double-digit numbers in your classroom with this set of 32 picture reveal task cards.
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Marine Animal Addition Worksheet
An addition worksheet to use when adding two single-digit numbers.
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Bobby's Board Games – Math Game Challenge
Challenge students to design and create a math board game.
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Addition Bingo (Single and Double-Digit Numbers)
32 different bingo cards to practice adding single and double digit numbers mentally.
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Doubles Plus One - Grid Game
Practice the doubles plus one addition strategy with this dice game.
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Combinations of 10 and 20 Posters
Easily recognize combinations of 10 and combinations of 20 with this visual poster set.
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Kindergarten Math Activity - Christmas Addition Facts Up to 10 Puzzle
Review addition facts up to 10 with a printable Christmas math activity for Kindergarten.
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Addition to 20 Activity - Winter Math Puzzle for 1st Grade
Practice addition facts up to 20 with a printable winter math puzzle for kindergarten and first-grade students.
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Thanksgiving Escape Room - The Stolen Feast
Play a Thanksgiving Escape Room game and practice two-and-three digit addition for holiday fun!
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Hide-a-Turkey Kindergarten Math Worksheet
Hide the turkeys and practice sums to ten with a fun Thanksgiving math worksheet for Kindergarten.
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Thanksgiving Math Tales - Kindergarten Math Problems
Solve story problems using models with a Thanksgiving Story Problem interactive activity for kindergarten.
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Christmas Math Worksheets - Roll, Add and Color Addition
Roll, add, and color your way to Christmas with a pack of fun Kindergarten math worksheets.
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1st Grade Halloween Addition Game - Roll-a-Potion
Roll and add to create a magic potion, then draw it in the cauldron with a printable Halloween game.