School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

Importance of addition worksheets

Addition worksheets are an ideal way to provide practice with this important math skill. The worksheets provide concrete and visual representations of the addition concept. The colorful illustrations are appealing and help children recognize how addition is simply combining groups of objects to discover the total amount. The pictures in the beginning set of worksheets also allow children to practice one to one correspondence as they can touch pictures with their fingers or mark them with a pencil as they count.

Tips for using these addition worksheets

To introduce the addition concept, take a few pieces of cereal or small snack and place them into two groups. Then let your child count each group separately before he counts both groups together to see how many snack pieces he gets to eat.

As you introduce these worksheets, explain to your child that he will be adding two small groups to find out how many pictures there are altogether. Show him the + and = symbols and tell him what each sign is called and what each sign means. After your child counts the first group on the first line of the beginning worksheets, instruct him to write the appropriate number on the blank line below. Of course, he will continue to count the pictures and write the correct number on the corresponding line. Finally, instruct your child to count all of the pictures to decide how many there are altogether and then write that number on the line following the = sign. Then review the number sentence by “reading” it with your child, pointing to each number and sign as you read. After you demonstrate, ask your child to read the number sentence he writes for each set of drawings.

The advanced addition sheets require your child to count on from a larger number. Ask him to identify the second, smaller number and show that amount with his fingers or with dots on a paper, perhaps. Then instruct your child to say aloud the first, larger number and then continue counting higher, moving to the next number as he taps each finger or dot he recorded. After your child finishes “counting on,” ask him to circle the addition problem if it adds up to the target number. If it does not, he may want to write the correct answer above or below the number problem or may simply cross it out to avoid confusion.

The advanced worksheets can be very challenging. To help your child focus on the addition problems, you may want to fold the paper to reveal one row at a time. After folding the paper, it may also be helpful to uncover only one addition problem at a time so that your child will not be distracted by other numbers on the page.

The intermediate worksheets are a step up in difficulty, since children will not have illustrations to touch and count to find the answer. Some children enjoy using their fingers to show the amounts that the numbers represent. Others like to use their pencil to place small dots above the numerals to show the amount. In this way, the child has something concrete to touch when counting.

These intermediate worksheets also pose an added challenge because the total is represented by a large group of items that need to be counted. I recommend that your child completes the left side of the page first so that he knows the amounts he will be looking for. With smaller amounts, children may be able to glance at a picture and know immediately how many items are there. When he can do that, he can draw the line to make the match and thus eliminate one of the options. Then, direct your child to count the amount in one box and then draw the line to the corresponding math equation.

Extra activities to use together with these addition worksheets

• Spill some crayons out of a box and ask your child to count them. Then spill a few more crayons and ask your child to count those. Finally, ask your child to count all of the crayons that are out of the box.
• Give your child a snack by putting a certain number of items in two different piles. Ask him to count each pile individually and then tell you how many total items you gave him.
• Divide your pocket change into two piles. Ask your child to count the number of coins in each pile and then count the total number of coins. Ask him to report back the total number of coins you had in your pocket.
• Let your child help you set the dinner table by grabbing forks and spoons. Ask him to tell you how many forks he grabbed and how many spoons. Then have him count all the pieces and tell you the total number.
• When sorting the laundry, ask your child to count how many colored socks there are. Then ask him to count only the number of white socks. Finally, ask him to tell you how many socks were washed altogether.
• Look in your child’s closet with him and ask him to tell you how many pairs of jeans he has. Then let him count how many pairs of pants are not jeans. Then ask him how many pants he has in total.
• Play a counting game by holding up fingers on each of your hands. Let your child count the fingers showing on each hand and then count them altogether to get the total.
• Let your child roll a pair of dice. Ask him to count the dots on each die separately. Then ask him to count all the dots to see how many are showing.
• Divide a group of toys (cars, stuffed animals, etc.) into two piles based on size, color, or any other criteria you like. Ask your child to count each group individually and then count the total number of toys.
• Allow your child to use both hands to grab small snacks out of a bag. Have him place the snacks on the table in two piles and count how many snacks were in each hand and then the total number of snacks.