How to teach addition to kids, step by step

Quick answer

Teach addition in small steps: first combine real objects and count them all, then count on from the bigger number, then learn the pairs that make 5 and 10. Next, use fact strategies (doubles, near doubles, make ten) to reach sums to 20, and finally add two-digit numbers using tens and ones. Keep practice short, frequent and playful. Common Core expects fluency within 5 in kindergarten, within 10 in 1st grade and within 20 in 2nd grade.

Addition is the first operation most children learn, and everything else in elementary math leans on it. The good news: you don't need to be a teacher to help. Children learn addition best by moving through a predictable set of stages, from touching real objects, to pictures, to numbers in their heads. This guide walks through each stage with examples you can try at the kitchen table tonight.

What to expect by grade

Every child moves at their own pace, but here is what the Common Core State Standards, used by most U.S. states, expect by the end of each grade.

Not sure where your child is? Ask them to solve 4 + 3 and watch how they do it. Counting every object from 1 means they're at step 1; starting from 4 and counting “5, 6, 7” means they're ready for step 3; just knowing “7” means they're on to strategies.

Step 1: Combine real objects and count them all

Start with things your child can touch. Put 3 blocks in one pile and 2 in another, push them together, and count them all. Then say it in math words: “3 plus 2 makes 5.” Children at this stage need to see that addition means putting groups together.

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Use everyday moments: two apples in the bowl and one more from the bag, four ducks in the bath and two more. Teach the words that signal addition in stories: plus, and, more, altogether, in all, total, sum.

Step 2: Count on from the bigger number

Counting all from 1 works, but it's slow. The next leap is counting on: start at the first number and count up. For 5 + 3, say “five…” and then “six, seven, eight,” holding up one finger for each number you add.

Once counting on is comfortable, teach the turn-around rule: 2 + 7 is the same as 7 + 2, so start with the bigger number and count on the smaller one. It saves time and it's the first property of operations kids meet (Common Core 1.OA.B.3).

Step 3: Learn the number partners of 5 and 10

Number partners (also called number bonds) are pairs that make a number: 4 and 1 make 5; 7 and 3 make 10. Knowing the partners of 10 by heart is the single most useful addition skill in the early grades, because our number system is built on tens.

Use a ten-frame (a 2-by-5 grid) to make this visible. Put 6 counters in the frame and ask, “How many empty spaces? So 6 and what make 10?” Practice every pair: 1 + 9, 2 + 8, 3 + 7, 4 + 6, 5 + 5. In kindergarten, the Common Core asks children to find the partner that makes 10 for any number from 1 to 9 (K.OA.A.4).

Step 4: Use fact strategies for sums to 20

Instead of memorizing 100 separate facts, children learn a handful of thinking strategies that cover them all. These are the ones schools teach in 1st and 2nd grade:

• Adding 0 and 1. Any number plus 0 stays the same; plus 1 is “the next number.”
• Doubles. 3 + 3, 4 + 4, 5 + 5… Kids remember doubles easily because they show up everywhere (two hands, egg cartons). See our doubles facts guide.
• Near doubles. 6 + 7 is “double 6, plus 1 more,” so 12 + 1 = 13.
• Make ten. For 8 + 5, move 2 from the 5 to fill the 8 up to 10. Then 10 + 3 = 13.
• Adding 9. 9 + 6 is the same as 10 + 6, minus 1: 15.

Make ten deserves extra time because it scales: the same idea later helps with 38 + 5 (38 + 2 = 40, then 3 more = 43). Our step-by-step make ten guide has more examples and games.

Step 5: Add bigger numbers with tens and ones

Two-digit addition is all about place value: 34 is 3 tens and 4 ones. With base-ten blocks (or bundles of 10 straws), children add tens to tens and ones to ones.

3 tens + 2 tens = 5 tens, and 4 ones + 5 ones = 9 ones, so 34 + 25 = 59. Start with problems that don't need regrouping like this one. When the ones add up to 10 or more (like 47 + 38), ten ones get bundled into a new ten. That's “carrying,” now called regrouping, and it gets its own step-by-step guide.

34+2559

Step 6: Build fluency with short, spaced practice

Fluency means answering accurately, efficiently and flexibly, not just fast. The best way to get there is a little practice, often. Research summarized by the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences recommends spacing practice over time and using quick quizzing to strengthen memory, rather than cramming.

• Keep sessions to 5–10 minutes, a few times a week or daily.
• Mix a few new facts with facts your child already knows, so most answers feel like wins.
• Bring back missed facts a day or two later, then again a few days after that.
• Use games: cards, dice, board games and apps all count as practice.

Avoid making timed tests the main event. Some children love racing the clock; many others freeze. Accuracy first, speed follows.

Common mistakes (and how to help)

• Counting the first number again. For 5 + 3 a child says “5, 6, 7” and answers 7. Show that 5 is where you already are: put 5 in your fist, then count on “6, 7, 8.”
• Always counting from 1. Cover the first group with a cup and write the number on it, so there's nothing to recount.
• Mixing up the columns. In 34 + 5, a child adds 3 + 5. Use grid paper or base-ten blocks so tens and ones stay lined up.
• Guessing in word problems. Act the story out with toys before writing a number sentence.

Practice problems

Try these together. Ask your child which strategy they used for each one.

Addition practice (with answers)

1. 2 + 3 = ?
2. 4 + 1 = ?
3. 6 + 4 = ?
4. 5 + 5 = ?
5. 7 + 3 = ?
6. 6 + 7 = ?
7. 8 + 5 = ?
8. 9 + 6 = ?
9. 8 + 8 = ?
10. 34 + 25 = ?
11. 42 + 30 = ?
12. 56 + 3 = ?

Show answers

Want more? Print our free addition worksheets or a set of ten-frames.

Frequently asked questions

What age should a child start learning addition?

Most children are ready to combine small groups of objects around ages 4 to 5, once they can count a small set reliably and know that the last number counted tells “how many.” Formal addition with written numbers usually starts in kindergarten, where the Common Core goal is to add and subtract fluently within 5.

How do I teach addition to a 5-year-old?

Use real objects and stories. Put 3 toy cars in a garage, add 2 more and ask how many there are now. Count them together, then write it as 3 + 2 = 5. Stay with sums up to 5, then 10, and play little games every day rather than doing worksheets.

Is it okay for my child to count on their fingers?

Yes. Fingers are a natural, powerful model for numbers up to 10, and counting on with fingers is a normal stage. Over time, encourage strategies that are faster than counting, such as known doubles and make ten, so that fingers become a backup rather than the only tool.

What are the main addition strategies kids learn?

The core strategies are counting on, using the turn-around rule (3 + 8 is the same as 8 + 3), adding 0 and 1, doubles, near doubles, making ten, and later adding tens and ones separately. Together they let children work out any fact to 20 without counting by ones.

When should kids know their addition facts by heart?

Under the Common Core standards, children should know all sums of two one-digit numbers from memory by the end of 2nd grade (standard 2.OA.B.2). In 1st grade the goal is fluency within 10.

How long should addition practice take each day?

Five to ten focused minutes is plenty for young children. Short, frequent sessions spread over days and weeks help facts stick better than one long session, and they keep practice fun.

Sources

• Common Core State Standards: Kindergarten, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 1, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 2, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 2, Number & Operations in Base Ten — CCSSI
• Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (practice guide) — Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse

Written by The Mathing Team for parents and teachers. Grade expectations follow the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; your state or school may sequence skills a little differently.