Learn · addition strategies
Addition Strategies: Seven Ways of Thinking
Children don't need to memorize 100 unrelated sums. A handful of strategies covers them all.
Teach facts in groups, from easy to hard: count on for plus 0, 1 and 2, then doubles, pairs that make 10, near doubles, ten plus, and finally make 10 first for the facts that cross 10. Each group helps with the next.
The strategies at a glance
The fact count covers sums of two numbers from 1 to 10, with 3 + 5 and 5 + 3 counted separately.
| Strategy | The idea | Facts (of 100) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus 0, 1 and 2 | Count on from the bigger number: 7, then 8, 9. | 36 | 3 + 1 = 4 |
| Doubles | Same number twice: 6 + 6. These are worth knowing by heart. | 8 | 3 + 3 = 6 |
| Near doubles | One more than a double: 6 + 7 is 6 + 6, plus 1. | 14 | 4 + 3 = 7 |
| Make 10 | Pairs that make 10 (7 + 3) are the key to bigger sums. | 4 | 6 + 4 = 10 |
| Ten plus | 10 plus a number: just put the 1 in front. 10 + 6 = 16. | 12 | 10 + 3 = 13 |
| Bridge through 10 | 8 + 5: make 10 first (8 + 2), then add the rest (3). 13. | 22 | 7 + 4 = 11 |
| Other facts | Use a fact you know: 7 + 4 is 7 + 3 + 1. | 4 | 5 + 3 = 8 |
Why the order matters
Each strategy uses the one before. Near doubles need doubles. Making 10 needs the pairs that make 10. The hard facts in the bottom right of the chart, like 8 + 7, are only hard if a child is still counting on their fingers. With a strategy they're two small steps.
None of this replaces memory. The aim is that a child uses a strategy for a while, the fact gets quicker, and one day the answer simply arrives. Strategies are how the fact gets there safely. There's more in the guide to fluency.
How to do it with Sumtown
- Open a fact page to see the strategy with that fact's numbers.
- Use make 10 or doubles to lock the game to one group.
- Print a drill sheet for that group.
- Go back to the full game. It moves through the strategies in this order by itself.
Quick quiz
Questions people ask
What are the main addition strategies?
Counting on, doubles, near doubles, making 10 and ten plus. Common Core standard 1.OA.C.6 names counting on and making ten among the strategies for adding within 20.
Should my child stop using fingers?
Not at first. Fingers are a sensible tool, and they fade as strategies take over. It's the counting by ones that you want to move past, not the fingers themselves.
Is Sumtown really free?
Yes. The whole game plays free in your browser, with no signup, no ads and no time limit. All fourteen mini games are in it. An iPhone app is on its way, and you can read what it will add.
An app is on its way
We're building a Sumtown app for iPhone with the parts that need a real app: offline play for car rides, a town map that remembers how far your child got, and a parent report on every fact. Until then, the whole game is free right here.
Coming soon on theApp Store