Grow your addition superpowers! Learn smart strategies like make 10, doubles, and count on. Become lightning-fast at adding numbers up to 20!
Plant the seeds of addition mastery with these interactive strategy builders!
Drag numbers to make 10 first!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
Type the answer using doubles!
Which strategy is fastest?
Click where you land on the number line!
Click the correct option
Learn smart strategies that make addition fast and fun! Each one is a powerful tool for your math toolkit.
Count On means starting with the BIGGER number, then counting up! Instead of counting all from 1, you start at the bigger number and count up by the smaller number. Like hopping forward on lily pads!
💡 Imagine you're at number 8, and you need to add 3. Just hop: 9... 10... 11! You're there!
Starting Big
8 + 3: Start at 8, count up 3: '9, 10, 11!' Answer is 11. Much faster than counting from 1!
Toy Cars
You have 12 cars, get 2 more. Start at 12: '13, 14!' Now you have 14 cars!
Sticker Collection
15 stickers + 4 more. Count on from 15: '16, 17, 18, 19!' Total: 19 stickers!
Books on Shelf
11 books + 3 books. Start at 11, count up: '12, 13, 14!' You have 14 books!
Cookies Baked
Mom baked 13 cookies, then 5 more. Count on: '14, 15, 16, 17, 18!' Total: 18 cookies!
Starting with the smaller number! Always start with the BIGGER number to count fewer steps.
Make 10 is a SUPER POWER strategy! First, make one number into 10, then add what's left. 10 is easy to work with - it's our friend! Think of 10 as a complete garden bed, then add extra flowers!
💡 Imagine filling a 10-box completely first, then counting the extras. So much easier!
The Classic 8 + 5
8 needs 2 to make 10. Take 2 from 5: 8+2=10. Then 10+3=13! Answer: 13
Fruit Bowl
7 apples + 6 apples. Make 10: 7+3=10, then 10+3=13. Total: 13 apples!
Birthday Balloons
9 balloons + 4 balloons. 9+1=10, then 10+3=13. You have 13 balloons!
Trading Cards
6 cards + 7 cards. Make 10: 6+4=10, then 10+3=13. Total: 13 cards!
Forgetting to add the leftover! After making 10, you MUST add what remains from the second number.
Doubles are when you add a number to ITSELF! Like twins - same number twice! These are easy to remember: 5+5=10, 6+6=12, 7+7=14. Doubles are super fast because they make patterns!
💡 Think of doubles as mirror images - whatever you have on the left, you have exactly the same on the right!
The Doubles Song
1+1=2, 2+2=4, 3+3=6, 4+4=8, 5+5=10, 6+6=12, 7+7=14, 8+8=16, 9+9=18, 10+10=20!
Shoe Pairs
8 pairs of shoes means 8+8=16 shoes total! Doubles in real life!
Cookie Bags
Two bags with 7 cookies each: 7+7=14 cookies! Twin bags!
Twin Friends
Twins each have 6 stickers: 6+6=12 stickers together! Double power!
Mixing up doubles! Practice them until they're automatic - like knowing your name!
Near Doubles are almost twins! If you know 7+7=14, then 7+8 is just ONE MORE = 15! Or 7+6 is one LESS = 13. Use doubles you know to figure out near doubles super fast!
💡 Think of near doubles as twins where one twin ate one extra cookie - almost the same, just +1!
The 7+8 Trick
Know 7+7=14? Then 7+8=15 (one more)! And 7+6=13 (one less)!
Pencil Box
5 pencils + 6 pencils. Know 5+5=10? So 5+6=11 (one more)!
Toy Cars
9 red cars + 8 blue cars. Know 9+9=18? So 9+8=17 (one less)!
Marbles Collection
6 marbles + 7 marbles. Know 6+6=12? So 6+7=13 (one more)!
Forgetting which way to adjust! +1 for the bigger near-double, -1 for the smaller.
A number line is like a path with numbers! To add, start at the first number and jump forward. Adding 7+5? Start at 7, make 5 hops forward, land on 12! It's like hopscotch with numbers!
💡 Imagine a sidewalk with numbers painted on it. Jump forward to add, jump backward to subtract!
Jumping by Ones
9 + 4: Start at 9, jump: 10, 11, 12, 13. You land on 13!
Big Jumps
6 + 10: Start at 6, make one BIG jump of 10, land on 16! Easy!
Playground Path
You're at position 8, move forward 7 spaces: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15! Position 15!
Board Game
On space 12, roll 5. Jump forward: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17! New space: 17!
Counting the starting number as a jump! Start AT the first number, then jump forward.
Sometimes breaking a number into PARTS makes adding easier! Break numbers into tens and ones. Like 13+5: think '10 and 3' + 5. Add 3+5=8, then add the 10 back: 10+8=18! Smart splitting!
💡 Think of numbers like LEGOs - you can take them apart, add pieces, then put them back together!
The 13 + 5 Example
Break 13 into 10+3. Then: 3+5=8, plus the 10 = 18! Answer: 18
Toy Sorting
14 toys + 4 toys. Break 14: (10+4)+4. Then 4+4=8, and 10+8=18 toys!
Sticker Pages
12 stickers + 7 stickers. Break 12: (10+2)+7. Then 2+7=9, and 10+9=19!
Crayon Box
15 crayons + 3 crayons. Break 15: (10+5)+3. Then 5+3=8, and 10+8=18!
Losing track of the tens! Always add the 10 back at the end.
When adding THREE numbers, look for pairs that are easy! Find a double, make 10, or find numbers that equal 10. Add those first, then add the third number. Smart pairing makes it easy!
💡 It's like choosing which two friends to team up first - pick the pair that works best together!
Finding Doubles
5+3+5: See the doubles! 5+5=10, then 10+3=13. Answer: 13
Making 10 First
7+2+3: Pair 7+3=10, then 10+2=12. Look for 10-pairs!
Candy Collection
4+6+5 pieces of candy. Pair 4+6=10, then 10+5=15 candies!
Basketball Points
8+2+7 points scored. Pair 8+2=10, then 10+7=17 points!
Adding left to right without looking for easy pairs! Always scan for doubles or 10-pairs first.
Mental math means solving in your HEAD without paper! Use ALL your strategies: count on for small numbers, make 10 for middle numbers, use doubles when you can. Pick the EASIEST strategy for each problem!
💡 Your brain is like a calculator - but with creativity! Choose the smartest shortcut for each problem!
Choosing Wisely
9+9? Use doubles! 8+3? Count on! 7+6? Near doubles! Pick the best tool!
Adding 10
Any number + 10? Just change the tens digit! 7+10=17, 13+10=23. Super fast!
Adding 9 Trick
Adding 9? Add 10, then subtract 1! 8+9 = 8+10-1 = 18-1 = 17!
Shopping Math
$8 toy + $7 toy. Use near-doubles: 8+8=16, minus 1 = $15 total!
Quick Practice
The more you practice mental math, the faster you get! Your brain builds math highways!
Always using the same strategy! Be flexible - different problems need different tools.
Test your addition strategy skills with practice problems!
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