One maker for every step
- Within 10. The facts children learn first, a whole sheet at a time.
- Within 20. Sums that cross ten, like 8 + 5 and 7 + 6.
- Two digits, no regrouping. Add the ones, then the tens.
- Two digits with regrouping. Ten ones make a ten: carry it to the next column.
- Three digits. The same steps with hundreds.
Stacked or in a row
Stacked problems line the digits up in columns, the way children learn written addition with regrouping. Problems in a row (47 + 25 = ___) suit mental maths and fact practice. Both come with an answer key.
More addition
For younger children, picture addition has groups of pictures to count before the number sentence. For taking away, the subtraction worksheets work the same way, with or without borrowing.
In the Australian Curriculum
- FoundationChildren model adding and taking away, and partition and combine collections up to 10 (AC9MFN04).
- Year 1Adding and subtracting within 20 with materials, part-part-whole knowledge to 10 and a range of strategies (AC9M1N04).
- Year 2Recalling addition facts to 20 and using them to work out related subtraction facts (AC9M2A02).
- Year 3Using known facts to build mental strategies for bigger numbers (AC9M3A02), and adding two- and three-digit numbers.
Version 9.0 lifted the expectations for addition and subtraction in Year 1, so facts within 20 now belong firmly to that year. The curriculum names strategies rather than one written method. Many classes work on jump and split strategies first (47 + 25 as 47 + 20 + 5, or 40 + 20 and 7 + 5) and bring in the vertical layout when their school’s scope and sequence says so.
In Australian classrooms regrouping is often called trading: ten ones are traded for one ten. Start with Never while children are still building place value, then switch to Always once trading has been taught with MAB or bundled paddle-pop sticks.
Summarised in our own words from the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, Version 9.0 (ACARA).
