Year 1: Introducing Addition Facts ​
Suggested activities for introducing addition in Year 1 Starters Recognise quantities (a) Roll a large spotty dice and cover it with a cloth before chn have chance to count the spots. Do they ‘just know’ how many they are? Chn hold up the correct number of fingers to show you. Repeat, showing all numbers to 6, encouraging chn to subitise (recognise ​
without​
counting). Recognise quantities (b) Give each child a board of numbers 1–10 and counters. Put your hands behind your back, then bring them out holding up 6 fingers before quickly putting them back again. Chn place a counter on the correct number. Rpt with other numbers to 10, encouraging chn to subitise (recognise ​
without​
counting). Count on (a) Count along a 1–10 track. Point to 5. ​
Say the next 2 numbers, ready, steady, go! ​
Chn say ​
6, 7. ​
Repeat starting at other numbers up to 8. Repeat, without the track. Count on (b) Roll a dice and ask chn to say the next 2 numbers, e.g. roll 4, chn say ​
5, 6.​
Repeat. Throw a beanbag to a child saying ​
7.​
Child says ​
8, 9​
. Repeat with different numbers to 10. Pairs to 5 Show 5 pegs of the same colour on a coat hanger. ​
How many pegs are there? C
​hn close their eyes whilst you cover 3 with a cloth. ​
Open your eyes; how many are hiding? Show me with your fingers.​
Reveal to check. Repeat. Main Teaching Activities Partition 5 into pairs, record the related additions Show 5 pegs of same colour on a coat hanger. ​
How many pegs are there? ​
Split into two groups: 4 and 1. ​
There are 4 on this side and 1 on the other. We can write this as 4 + 1 = 5, 4 add 1 equals 5, 4 and 1 make 5 all together​
. Turn the coat hanger round so that it shows 1 + 4. ​
What could we write now?​
Split 5 into other pairs and rpt. Show 5 pegs. ​
Close your eyes.​
Cover up one of them with a cloth. ​
Open your eyes, how many have I hidden. How do you know? ​
Repeat covering 2, then 3, 4 and 5. Add a small number by counting on Sit 5 soft toys on a table and say they are on a bus. ​
How many are on the bus? One more is going to get on at the next stop. How many will be on the bus then? Oh, my mistake two are going to get on. Show me with your fingers how many will be on the bus.​
Put 2 more toys on the ‘bus’ to confirm. Write on the board 5 + 2 = 7. ​
5 add 2 equals 7. This means 5 toys and 2 toys make 7 toys all together​
. Repeat adding 1 or 2 to numbers under 10​
. ​
Put 5 pennies into a tin, asking chn to count with you as you do so, and hold up one finger for each penny. Put one more penny in the tin. ​
How much is in the tin now? ​
Tip out the money to check. Write 5 + 1 = 6, reading this and saying that 5 and 1 more makes 6. Repeat, this time adding 2 pennies. ​
What could we write this time? © Independent Schools Portal 2016. ​
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All Rights Reserved. This guidance is regularly reviewed by member schools’ Heads of Mathematics Year 1: Introducing Addition Facts ​
Add 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to 5 by counting on Wave a hand and say ​
5​
. Ask chn to do the same. Now ask them to hold up 1 more finger. ​
5 and 1 more makes?​
Say ​
5​
waving the hand, and then ​
6​
indicating the extra finger. In the same way, demonstrate that 5 and 2 more is 7. Then that 5 and 3 more is 8. Each time count on from the known 5 fingers on one hand. Continue up to 5 and 5. Add 1 or 2 to numbers to 6 by counting on Draw 7 smiley faces on a picture of a bus. ​
7 people are on the bus. 2 more are going to get on at the next stop; how many do you think will be on the bus then? Tell your partner. Now show me with your fingers. ​
Draw 2 more faces on bus. Ring the first 7, saying ​
7​
, then point to the 2 faces saying ​
8, 9​
. ​
What number sentence can we write? ​
Record 7 + 2 = 9 reading it as ​
7 add 2 equals 9. As 7 people were on the bus, and 2 more got on, there are 9 all together. R
​epeat with other numbers to 10, counting on 1 or 2 more people. ​
Close your eyes and imagine 3 frogs sitting on a log. Count them, 1, 2, 3. Another frog jumps onto the log. How many are there now? Show me with your fingers.​
Repeat, imagining adding 1 or 2 to numbers to 5. Add 1 or 2 to numbers to 10 by counting on Show 5 beads on 20­bead bar, and ask chn to do the same on their 20­bead strings. Roll a 1, 2 dice. Model counting on that number, e.g. say ​
6, 7 a
​s you slide beads across one at a time. Ask chn to imitate this process and to check that they have 7 beads afterwards. Repeat, this time adding 1 or 2 to 10, then to other numbers from 5 to 10. Decide whether to add or subtract to solve a word problem There are 5 dogs in the rescue centre, one is going to leave today because a new home has been found for him – isn’t that great? How many dogs are in the rescue centre now? How could we work it out?​
Discuss how we can use fingers to represent each dog, holding up 5 fingers, putting 1 finger down, and seeing how many are left. Show chn how we could also use cubes to represent the dogs, showing 5 cubes, taking 1 away. ​
Did we add or take away? What number sentence could we write? M
​odel writing 5 – 1 = 4. ​
There are 4 dogs in the centre. 2 more arrive. How many are there now? How can we find out? Did we add or subtract? What number sentence can we write? M
​odel writing 4 + 2 = 6. Repeat with other similar stories, showing chn how we can use fingers and cubes to represent the dogs, discussing the operation needed and finally the number sentence to show what you did. Guided / Independent Work Making Snakes Most children Ask chn to work in pairs to make ‘snakes’ using five cubes in two colours. Challenge them to make as many different ones as they can. They should record the addition for each. Easier As above but prepare addition cards for them to match to each snake (​
see resources​
). GUIDED: Harder As above but challenge them to think about how they can check that they have every combination of additions. Discuss efficient methods (e.g. writing them in order, 5 + 0, 4 + 1 …). Why is this important to do? It makes sure we haven’t missed any out! © Independent Schools Portal 2016. ​
www.independentschoolsportal.org​
All Rights Reserved. This guidance is regularly reviewed by member schools’ Heads of Mathematics Year 1: Introducing Addition Facts ​
Fingers! Most children One child shows 5 fingers, and the other child shows any number up to 5 fingers. They find the total by counting on from five and record the addition. GUIDED: Easier One child shows 5 fingers, and the other child shows any number up to 5 fingers. Help chn to find the total by counting on from five. Give chn addition cards, 5 + 1 = 6, 5 + 2 = 7, … 5 + 5 = 10 (​
see resources)​
and ask them to choose which card goes with their fingers. Ask them to draw a picture of their fingers and write the corresponding addition underneath. Dominoes Most children/easier Give pairs of chn sets of dominoes. Chn select all the dominoes that have a 5 on at least one side. They put them in order e.g. 5 dots and 1 dot, 5 dots and 2 dots etc. They work out the totals and attempt to write them as additions on Post­it notes™: 5 + 1 = 6, 5+ 2=7. (NB you will need to discuss the 5 and 6 domino!) GUIDED: Medium Show chn a ‘snake’ made of one colour. Pick another 3 cubes in a different colour. Ask chn to write this as an addition, e.g. 5+2=. Add the two numbers by starting from 5 and counting on 2. Finish the addition sentence 5+2=7. Ask chn to work in pairs to make ‘snakes’, using 5 cubes in one colour. Then they each add one cube to their snake and write or lay out a matching addition. Repeat for adding 3, 4 and 5 cubes to their snake. ​
What happens when we add 6 cubes?​
Discuss that this takes us over the 10 barrier. Chn count on from 5, adding 6.​
Can they write this as an addition sentence? Harder As Guided but challenge chn to make a snake of 15 cubes and add 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Dice Most children/harder Chn work in pairs to roll two dice, a 1–6 number dice, and a 1, 2 spotty dice. They find the total by counting on the number of spots, and record the addition. GUIDED: Easier Chn roll a 1­6 spotty dice and a 1, 2 spotty dice. Help chn to recognise the 1st​
​
number, count on the 2nd​
​ and record the addition. Beads Most children Ask chn to work in pairs to choose a number of beads from 5 to 10 and to roll a 1, 2 dice and add this number on. They record the addition. After a while, challenge them to choose a number of beads to try and get a total of 10. GUIDED: Medium Chn choose a number of beads from 5–10 on a beadstring. Move around chn, asking them to say their number. Roll a 1, 2 dice. Ask chn to put numbers into a sentence, work out the answer and share it with the group. E.g. 6 + 2 = 8. Repeat with numbers 5–10 before moving onto some numbers from 10–15. Easier As most chn but choose numbers 5, 6, 7 or 8 and use a 1, 2 dice so that the totals are less than 11. Harder As most chn but choose a number from 5 to 15. © Independent Schools Portal 2016. ​
www.independentschoolsportal.org​
All Rights Reserved. This guidance is regularly reviewed by member schools’ Heads of Mathematics Year 1: Introducing Addition Facts ​
Dog Rescue! Most children Chn work in pairs to solve simple rescue centre word problems (​
see resources​
) such as the following: There are 5 dogs. 2 leave. There are □ left. There are 5 dogs. 2 new dogs come. There are now □ dogs. GUIDED: Medium Look at the word problems together and ask chn to act them out using soft toys or cubes. How can we work it out? Plenaries ●
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Show chn 2 paper plates and 5 items of food (e.g. biscuits, sandwiches or cakes). Put 4 on 1 plate and 1 on the other. ​
What addition could we write? How else can we split the food between the two plates?​
Together find all the combinations and make list of the corresponding additions. When you’ve done so, use a Post­it notes to cover one of the numbers in one of the additions and see if chn can guess what it is. Show 5 spots on large dice, and roll a 2nd​
​ dice. Ask chn to count all the spots. Record the addition. Keep the 1st​
​
dice still and roll the 2nd​
​. Again ask chn to count all the spots st​
and together record the addition. Rpt. After a while point out (if a child hasn’t already done so!) that the 1​
dice always shows 5 spots and so we don’t need to keep counting them all the time. Keep the 1st​
​
dice still and roll the 2nd​
​. Point to the 1st​
​
saying ​
5​
, and then ​
6, 7, 8 ​
etc. as you point to the 2nd​
​ dice. Repeat, each time recording the addition. Show addition cards 5 + 1 = 6, 5 + 2 = 7… 5 + 5 = 10 in turn. Chn work in pairs to show the additions on their fingers. Show chn 5 toy animals. ​
5 animals are at the rescue centre. Another 2 animals come in. Show 5 and 2 more on fingers. How many animals are in the rescue centre now? Put another 2 pictures with original 5 and count on ​
6, 7. What sentence do we write? R
​epeat with 5 to 8 animals, adding 1 or 2 more and asking chn to write an addition for each. Put 5 pennies into a tin, asking chn to count with you as you do so and hold up one finger for each penny. Put 2 more pennies in the tin. ​
How many are in the tin now?​
Tip out the money to check. ​
What addition can we write?​
Write 5 + 2 = 7, reading this and saying that ​
5 and 2 more equals 7. ​
Repeat, this time adding 2 more pennies. ​
What could we write this time? ​
Repeat, adding 1 or 2 onto 5 to 10 pennies. Sasha has 7 stickers. Her friend gives her 2 more. How many does she have now?​
Discuss how you could work out the answer using cubes to represent the stickers. ​
Are we adding or taking away? What number sentence can we write?​
Repeat with similar sticker stories subtracting two and using known additions such as pairs to 5 or 10. Write numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 in one set and numbers 1 and 2 in the second. Chn work in pairs to choose a number from each set and to make up a sticker story. Take one from each group for the class to solve. Suggested resources on the next page © Independent Schools Portal 2016. ​
www.independentschoolsportal.org​
All Rights Reserved. This guidance is regularly reviewed by member schools’ Heads of Mathematics Year 1: Introducing Addition Facts ​
Suggested Resources ●
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Large spotty dice and cloth A coat hanger and five pegs of one colour, a cloth Multilink Two paper plates and five items of food (e.g. biscuits, sandwiches, cakes, pieces of fruit) Post­it notes 1–10 number board and counters Soft toys Pennies and a tin Two large spotty dice Addition cards: 5 + 0, 4 + 1, 3 + 2, 2 + 3, 1 + 4, 0 + 5 (​
see resources​
) Two or three sets of dominoes Addition cards: 5 + 1, 5 + 2, 5 + 3, 5+ 4, 5 + 5, 5 + 0 Beanbag IWB picture of a bus (​
see resources​
) Ten pictures of dogs (or use toy dogs) (​
see resources)​
1–6 number dice 1, 2 spotty dice (or write on blank dice, three of each number) 20­bead bar 20­bead string Large 1, 2 numeral dice Ten pennies and a tin Small 1, 2 dice (or write on blank dice, three of each number) ●
Dog problems ​
(see resources) © Independent Schools Portal 2016. ​
www.independentschoolsportal.org​
All Rights Reserved. This guidance is regularly reviewed by member schools’ Heads of Mathematics