Addition and Subtraction Facts

Overview

In this fourth lesson of Early Number Foundations, students consolidate addition and subtraction facts within 5 through practical games and representations. They move between joining and separating actions, counters, drawings, fingers and equations, building fluency while explaining how they know.

Learning intentions

• WALT represent addition and subtraction facts within 5.
• WALT solve joining and separating situations using objects, drawings, fingers and equations.
• WALT represent the same fact in more than one way.
• WALT explain a counting, doubles or known-parts strategy.

Success criteria

• I can combine two groups to find how many altogether.
• I can take away or find how many are left.
• I can show a fact with objects, a drawing and an equation.
• I can explain my strategy and understand that the equals sign means “is the same as”.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Mathematics and Statistics — Number, Year 1 first six months: addition and subtraction situations and facts within 5.
• Representing mathematical ideas concretely, pictorially and symbolically.
• Developing mathematical language, reasoning and efficient strategies through discussion and play.
• Mathsteasers: appropriately challenging higher-order thinking and multiple representations for advanced learners.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Welcome and warm-up. Open with the joining and separating hook and tell a short story: “Three children are sharing kai. Two more join them. How many are there now?” Students act out the story with fingers, say the answer and describe what changed. Repeat with a take-away story using 5 toy food items.

2. 7–17 min · Model representations. Use counters and a five-frame to model 2 + 1 = 3, then remove 2 from 5 to model 5 − 2 = 3; refer to the teacher modelling slides. Explicitly connect the action, counters, drawing, spoken sentence and equation. Point to the equals sign and explain, “is the same as.” Students echo the vocabulary: add, altogether, take away, left, total and equals.

3. 17–32 min · Fact-match game. In pairs, students use the Number Bonds Matching Cards with counters and five-frames. One partner chooses a whole up to 5, builds it, and finds two parts; both partners record or say the matching addition fact. They then turn the parts around to notice that joining in a different order gives the same total. Circulate and ask, “What did you know first?”, “How could you check?” and “Can you show it another way?”

4. 32–44 min · Story stations. Organise five groups of five and rotate or assign a practical context: shop, picnic, pā harakeke or playground. Provide toy food, puppets, counters and story mats. Students act out one joining and one separating story, then draw and record each as an equation on the addition and subtraction facts worksheet. Invite children to share their own whānau or community examples; do not assume that sharing means equal division.

5. 44–54 min · Share and solve. Display the strategy discussion and game slides. Invite pairs to demonstrate one fact in two representations. Compare counting-all, counting-on, doubles and known-part strategies. Present orally and visually: 1 + 4, 5 − 1, 2 + 2 and 3 + __ = 5. Students solve with fingers or counters, then explain their choice to a partner. Support students to distinguish addition (joining) from subtraction (taking away or finding the difference).

6. 54–60 min · Plenary and assessment. Use the final reflection slide. Students complete the final two prompts on the addition and subtraction facts worksheet: draw and write one addition fact within 5 and one subtraction fact within 5. Invite several students to explain why their drawing and equation show the same amount.

Resources

• the complete addition and subtraction teaching deck
• the addition and subtraction facts worksheet
• the Number Bonds Matching Cards
• Counters, connecting cubes and five-frames
• Toy food, puppets and story mats
• Number and equation cards
• Pencils, crayons and mini-whiteboards
• Optional classroom objects for acting out stories

Assessment

• Observe whether students accurately model joining and separating, match actions to equations and use the equals sign as “is the same as”.
• During pair work, listen for counting-all, counting-on, doubles and known-parts strategies; note students who need continued support with facts to 3.
• Collect the worksheet and use the final representations to identify whether each student can connect concrete, pictorial and symbolic forms.

Differentiation

• Support with real objects, fingers, part-part-whole mats, repeated modelling and facts to 3 before moving towards 5. Use sentence starters: “I had…”, “Then…”, “Now there are…”.
• Provide visual vocabulary cards, gestures and partner rehearsal for English language learners; accept oral explanations, pointing and drawing before written recording.
• For students needing additional learning support, reduce the number of choices, use a five-frame consistently and work in a teacher-led group with one-to-one prompting.
• Extend students by asking them to find related facts, explain why 2 + 3 and 3 + 2 have the same total, or solve missing-part equations such as 3 + __ = 5 and __ − 2 = 3.