Math · Rung 2 of 7
Putting groups together and finding out how many there are altogether. Your child starts by pushing real things into one pile and ends up just knowing that 7 and 3 make 10.
Where this sits
Addition is joining. Two groups become one, and the question is how many. The rung moves from real objects, to pictures, to number sentences, in that order and at your child's pace. The goal is every sum up to 20 by a smart route (counting on, doubles, making ten) instead of counting from one each time.
Adding bigger numbers like 34 + 18 waits for the Place value rung. Without place value it's just a trick to memorize.
Not there yet? Spend more time on Counting and number sense. It will make this rung quicker.
Each step builds on the one before. Most children spend weeks on some steps and days on others.
Join two groups of real things and count them all.
3 shells and 2 shells → 5 shells
Start from the bigger number and count up. No need to count the first group again.
"Fiiive … six, seven."
Every way to split 5 and 10. This is where the ten frame and fingers earn their keep.
6 + 4, 7 + 3, 8 + 2
Doubles stick in memory. A near double is a double plus one.
4 + 4 = 8, so 4 + 5 = 9
Borrow from one number to fill a ten, then add what's left.
8 + 5 = 8 + 2 + 3 = 13
Only now bring in + and =. Tell stories that match the number sentences, and have your child tell them back.
"5 ducks, 3 more land. 5 + 3 = 8."
Tap the squares to add or take away counters. Ask your child how many more make ten, before they look at the sum.
You need: Crackers, grapes, anything countable
Put a few on the plate, then add some more. Ask how many now. Later, cover the first group with your hand so they have to count on.
“You've got 4 under my hand. I'm adding 3. How many altogether?”
You need: A 12-cup egg carton with 2 cups cut off, buttons or beans
Drop in some buttons. How many? How many empty cups? Those two numbers always make 10.
“Seven full, three empty. Seven and three make ten.”
You need: 6 to 10 small things, a plastic cup
Show them 7 things. While they look away, hide some under the cup. They count what's left and work out how many are hiding.
“There were 7. I can see 4. How many are under the cup?”
You need: One die
Roll it and say the double. Keep score. Once doubles come quickly, roll two dice and look for near doubles.
“Four and four is eight. So four and five is …?”
You need: A park, a beach, a bag
Collect two kinds of thing, pinecones and stones, say. Line up each pile, push them together and count.
“How many stones? How many cones? How many things did we find?”
You need: Sidewalk chalk
Draw a line from 0 to 20 with big steps. Stand on 8, hop 5, where do you land? Later, stop at 10 on the way and say it out loud.
“From 8, two hops gets you to 10. Three more hops to 13.”
You need: A deck of cards with the 10s and face cards taken out (ace counts as 1)
Play Go Fish, but a pair is two cards that make 10. Holding a 7, you ask for a 3.
“I've got a 6. Does anyone have a 4?”
You need: Two-colour counters (or beans painted on one side), a cup, paper
Put 6 counters in the cup, shake and spill. Write the number sentence the colours make: 4 red + 2 yellow = 6. Each child spills in turn. How many different ways did the group find?
“We found 5 + 1 and 1 + 5. Are those the same?”
For 5 + 2 they say "5, 6" and answer 6. Have them say the first number, then count the added ones on their fingers.
Hide the first group under a cup or your hand. They can't count again what they can't see.
Write it both ways sometimes: 10 = 7 + 3. It means "is the same as".
Very common at this stage and usually outgrown. It is not a reason to hold back on the math.
If a written question stumps them, go back to objects. The objects are the understanding; the paper is only a record of it.
Tick them off as you see them. Saved on this device only.