Should my child count on their fingers?

Early on, yes: fingers are a model of the number. Over time facts to 20 should become recall rather than counting, and practising doubles and making ten speeds that up.

Also called regrouping. When a column adds up to ten or more, the ten moves into the next column to the left, written as a small 1 above it.

Grades K–3

Addition

Addition puts amounts together. Facts to 10 and to 20 come first; column addition carries the same idea to numbers of any size.

Work it out.

0 right

Ten questions at a time, marked as you go. Pick a skill above and start; nothing to sign up for, and the set works offline once the page has loaded.

What addition means

Adding finds the total of two or more amounts. Order does not matter, 3 + 5 is the same as 5 + 3, so it usually helps to start from the bigger number and count on.

For bigger numbers, add one place at a time, starting with the ones. When a column comes to ten or more, the ten moves into the next column as a small 1 carried above it.

Worked examples

Column addition

No column reaches ten, so each one is added on its own.

234 +152 386

Carrying twice

8 + 7 = 15: write 5, carry 1. Then 5 + 6 + 1 = 12: write 2, carry 1.

11 158 + 67 225

Three numbers

The ones make 5 + 6 + 9 = 20: write 0 and carry 2 into the tens.

2 45 26 +19 90

Strategies that help

Make ten

8 + 5: take 2 from the 5 to make 10, and 3 is left. 10 + 3 = 13.

Doubles and near doubles

6 + 7 is one more than 6 + 6, so it is 13.

Count on from the bigger number

For 2 + 9, start at 9 and count two more: 10, 11.

Round and adjust

47 + 29: add 30 to get 77, then take back the extra 1. The answer is 76.

Number bonds

Pairs that make 10, 20 and 100. Knowing these by sight is what makes the "make ten" strategy quick.

Make 10	Make 20	Make 100
1 + 9	11 + 9	10 + 90
2 + 8	12 + 8	20 + 80
3 + 7	13 + 7	30 + 70
4 + 6	14 + 6	40 + 60
5 + 5	15 + 5	50 + 50

Practice questions

Work each one on paper first, then open the answer to check it.

7 + 8
Answer
15
9 + 6
Answer
15
25 + 34
Answer
59
48 + 37
Answer
85
156 + 231
Answer
387
268 + 157
Answer
425
499 + 26
Answer
525
36 + 47 + 18
Answer
101
A class has 14 girls and 17 boys. How many children are there?
Answer
31
Fill the gap: 38 + __ = 100
Answer
62

Common questions

Should my child count on their fingers?: Early on, yes: fingers are a model of the number. Over time facts to 20 should become recall rather than counting, and practising doubles and making ten speeds that up.
What is carrying?: Also called regrouping. When a column adds up to ten or more, the ten moves into the next column to the left, written as a small 1 above it.