ADDITION & SUBTRACTION

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Addition & Subtraction GP 0

0. Not apparent/lack of
evidence of growth point 1
Not yet able to combine and
count two collections of
objects.

Moving towards achieving

1. Count all (two collections)

Counts all to find the total of
two collections.

Count around the room

Materials: everyday classroom equipment
Group size: Whole class or small group
What to do: This activity is aimed, primarily, at simply providing lots of opportunities for counting.
Find objects/equipment around the classroom and school which can be used for counting. E.g.
Windows, steps, cars in the carpark, trees. Practise counting these as a group, begin to introduce the
idea of easier ways to count, such as by 2s etc.
An egg-sact match:
Materials: approx. 20 teddy counters and a dozen egg carton
Group size: whole class
What to do: The teacher asks one student to grab a handful of teddy counts and then asks, do you
think you have enough teddies to put in each section of this egg carton? How can you check?
The teacher then asks the child to put the teddies in the egg carton. They then ask, did you have
enough teddies? The focus here is to use comparative language such as enough, the same, too
many, more, fewer, or less.

Ten frames
Materials: counters of 2 colours, a single ten frame
Group size: individual
What to do: students place single digit (up to 9) numbers of counters on a ten frame (e.g., 6). They
use different colours to make different groups within six, for example 3 yellow and 3 red counters
make 6 counters. They then record all of the different groups they have made by drawing the
different coloured counters.

Addition & Subtraction GP 1

1. Count all (two collections)
Counts all to find the total of
two collections.

2. Count on
Counts on from one number to
find the total of two
collections.

Moving towards achieving

Add them up
Materials: Pack of playing cards with picture cards removed (Ace =1), counters
Group size: Pairs
What to do:
Each student is given ten counters. To begin a round, each student places one counter in front of
them. Both students are then dealt two cards, they count the total of these two cards, and the
student with the highest total collects both counters. In the event of the same total, each student
places another counter out, and two more cards are dealt to each student. The highest total takes all
four counters. The student, who collects all of the partners counters, is the winner.
Match Box Counting
Materials: empty match boxes, counters
Group size: Pairs
What to do:
Fill empty match boxes with between 1 and 10 counters. Write the number of counters on the
bottom of the box. Working as a pair, each student chooses a matchbox and empties the counters
onto the table. Combining the contents of two boxes, the students count the total number of
counters. After checking their answer, they then redivide the counters back into the match boxes by
counting out. E.g. matchbox #8 and matchbox #5 are selected. Count total of 13 counters together.
Then re-separate into 8 and 5 in each box.
Magic bean toss:
Materials: ten beans sprayed gold only on one side
Group size: small groups
What to do:
Students take turns to toss the beans and record the combinations of beans that occur on a grid,
with the number of golden beans first.
6+4
0+10
3+7

9+1
8+2
4+6

10+0
7+3
5+5

1+9
2+8

Addition & Subtraction GP 2

2. Count on
Counts on from one number to
find the total of two
collections.

Moving towards achieving

3. Count back/count down

to/count up from
Given a subtraction situation,
chooses appropriately from
strategies including count
back, count down to and count
up from.

Counter cards
Materials: Set of playing cards with picture cards removed (Ace = 1), counters
Group size: Pairs
What to do:
Each student is dealt one card face up. They collect this number of counters and place them on the
table. They are then each dealt another card. Again they collect this number of counters. Using the
Count On strategy, they begin with the largest number and count on to find the total of the two sets
of counters, and therefore the two sets of cards. The student with the highest total collects all four
cards. Play then repeats itself for either a timed period, or until the pack is all dealt.
Five cards in order:
Materials: playing cards from 2-10
Group size: small group and whole class
What to do:
Students are arranged in small teams of 5. The teacher holds up one playing card from 2-10 and
then, working in teams, students take turns to count on from that number by 5 with each child
saying one number. The first team to have five cards in a row (e.g., 4,5,6,7, and 8) wins. During the
activity, the teacher further prompts students thinking by asking, what do you need to remember
when counting on?
Twenty Wins
Materials: one die
Group size: Pairs
What to do:
Students take turns to roll the dice. They count on from the previous turn. The student who counts
the number 20 wins the rounds and takes a counter. They then begin the next round by rolling the
dice and starting from zero again. The first student to collect five counters wins.
How Many Marbles?
Materials: approx. 20 marbles per pair
Group size: pairs
What to do: Students work in pairs to practise the counting on strategy. One child puts additional
marbles into a container; the other child counts on to find how many there are in total.

Addition & Subtraction GP 3

3. Count back/count down
to/count up from
Given a subtraction situation,
chooses appropriately from
strategies including count
back, count down to and count
up from.

Moving towards achieving

4. Basic strategies (doubles,

commutativity, adding 10,
tens facts, other known facts)
Given an addition or
subtraction problem,
strategies such as doubles,
commutativity, adding 10, tens
facts, and other known facts
are evident.

Backwards roll
Materials: one dice, calculator (optional)
Group size: Pairs
What to do: Each student begins with the number 100. Each student rolls the dice and counts back
by the number shown. The first student to reach zero is the winner. Encourage students to record
their running total.
Variation: Students use the calculator to keep track of their total.
Two below bingo:
Materials: bingo cards with the numerals 3 to 20, counters
Group size: whole class or small group
What to do: the teacher calls out a number between 3 and 30. Students then use their counters to
cover the corresponding numeral on their bingo card if the numeral is two below the number called.
During the activity, the teacher asks the students to justify how they knew their number was two
below the number being called.
Counting both ways
Materials: number cards 0-10, wooden cube marked number before and number after
Group size: whole class
What to do:
Have children practise counting backwards from 10. At several points, the teacher holds up their
hand as a signal to stop. They then ask, what number will we say next? How do you know?
Then, the teacher gives each child a number card and has them stand up. The teacher then rolls a
wooden cube marked number before and number after and holds up a number card. The children
who have the appropriate number before/after then sit down. The last child left standing is the
winner. Ask the game progresses, the teacher may ask, which number would have sat down if the
dice had said number before ___ and so on.

Addition & Subtraction GP 4

4. Basic strategies (doubles,
commutativity, adding 10,
tens facts, other known facts)
Given an addition or
subtraction problem,
strategies such as doubles,
commutativity, adding 10, tens
facts, and other known facts
are evident.

Moving towards achieving

5. Derived strategies (near

doubles, adding 9, build to
next ten, fact families,
intuitive
strategies)
Given an addition or
subtraction problem,
strategies such as near
doubles, adding
9, build to next ten, fact
families and intuitive
strategies are evident.

Add them up
Materials: none
Group size: Whole Class
What to do: The aim of this activity is to give students strategies to use when adding together
groups of numbers. Give students strings of numbers to add and encourage them to revisit a range
of strategies before they begin, to find the most appropriate, i.e. look for tens facts first, then
doubles, use the commutativity rule etc.
Egg carton doubles
Materials: plenty of spare egg cartons for students to cut up
Group size: small group and individual
What to do:
The teacher shows students and empty egg carton and asks, what doubles can you see in this box?
Students then cut up the egg cartons to make models of double. This can then be recorded by
sticking the cut-up cartons onto cardboard and writing number sentenced underneath. More
advanced students can be encouraged to tape cartons together to make larger doubles.
Finding doubles
Materials: a range of concrete materials and a number chart
Group size: individual
What to do: students work independently to find all the doubles on a number chart. They are then
encouraged to make models of these doubles using concrete materials of their choice. Students then
record their findings to share with the class.

Addition & Subtraction GP 5

5. Derived strategies (near
doubles, adding 9, build to
next ten, fact families,
intuitive
strategies)
Given an addition or
subtraction problem,
strategies such as near
doubles, adding
9, build to next ten, fact
families and intuitive
strategies are evident.

Moving towards achieving

6. Extending and applying

addition and subtraction using
basic, derived and intuitive
strategies
Given a range of tasks
(including multi-digit
numbers), can solve them
mentally,
using the appropriate
strategies and a clear
understanding of key concepts

Dice throw:
Materials: two red dice and two blue dice, and one calculator (optional) for each pair
Group size: Pairs
What to do: One student rolls the blue dice and adds the two numbers together to find the total. i.e.
Rolls 4 and 3 and has total of 7. The other student then rolls the two red dice and uses the numbers
to make a two digit number. i.e. Rolls 5 and 3, can make either 35 or 53. Working together, the
students then add the number from the blue dice together with the number from the red dice, using
an appropriate strategy. Record the answer on paper, and can be checked with a calculator if
desired. On the next turn students swap tasks. Follow with a whole class discussion about the
highest number calculated by a group, and the strategies used.
Fact Families Buy 1, get 3 free!
Materials: paper and pencils
Group size: Individuals or pairs
What to do: Students use their knowledge of fact families to ten to complete the following
statements for all facts families to ten. For example:
I know that 2 + 8 = 10, therefore I also know
8 + 2 = 10
10 8 = 2
10 2 = 8
Extension/variation:
Students complete the same activity but for fact families to 20.

Addition & Subtraction GP 6

6. Extending and applying
addition and subtraction using
basic, derived and intuitive
strategies
Given a range of tasks
(including multi-digit
numbers), can solve them
mentally,
using the appropriate
strategies and a clear
understanding of key concepts

Moving towards achieving

7. Adding and subtracting

fractions and decimal
fractions
Given a range of tasks
involving fractions and decimal
fractions, can solve them
mentally or on paper, using the
appropriate strategies and a
clear understanding of the key
concepts

Head high, tails low

Materials: 2 dice, 1 coin, paper to record scores
Group size: Small Group
What to do: Each student commences this game with a score of 250. Students then take turns to roll
the two dice, and use the numbers to make a two digit number. i.e. If roll 2 and 5, can opt to make
25 or 52. Once this two digit number is determined, students then toss the coin. If it lands Heads
they add this two digit number to their total, if it lands Tails they must subtract it. The aim of this
game is to be the first to reach either 0 or 500.
How will you solve it?
Materials: one algorithm card for each pair
Group size: Pairs
What to do: Each pair is given an algorithm on a card. They must decide together what they think is
the most appropriate strategy (there may be more than one in some cases) to use to solve this
algorithm and use it to find the solution. Each pair then finds another pair to whom they must then
explain which strategy they used to solve their problem and why. The partners then use the strategy
to determine the answer and check for accuracy.
Extension: Pairs can write another algorithm to give to their partners which would be most suitably
solved using the same strategy