MATH-LESSON 1-WEEK 1

MATH-LESSON 1-WEEK 1

ADDITION

Basic addition is a step on from counting and usually picked up easily by learners.

Once a learner can count to ten they can usually quickly perform additions up to ten. For example, if a learner is given two piles of cards, one pile containing 4 cards and the other containing 3 cards, they can count all the cards and come up with the answer: 7. Using fingers is common when learning how to count and add. Adding dots drawn on a piece of paper, then using a ‘number line’, are the next steps in learning addition, this time there are no physical items to handle. Finally when digits are recognized the same sum can be performed by looking at 3 + 4.

Adding the same number to itself (or doubling) is also fairly straightforward once a basic understanding of multiplication has been grasped, 3 + 3 = 6 for example.

​Column Addition

​When adding lots of numbers together it is helpful to write them in columns, denoting units, tens and hundreds (see our numbers page for examples of this). If we needed to add 4, 15, 23, 24, 35, 42

​Step 1

Arrange the numbers in columns, Hundreds, Tens and Units as needed:

Add the numbers in the right (units) column. This should give you an answer of 23. Two tens and three units.  Write a 3 in the total for the units column. Carry over the 2 tens - it is usual to put this number underneath the total, we'll need it in the next step.

​Step 2

Add together the numbers in the tens column remembering to include the 2 that was carried over.  You should get an answer of 14.

That is 4 tens (as we are working in the tens column) and 1 to carry over to the next column, hundreds.

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The next step would be to add together the numbers in the hundreds column.

There are no numbers in the hundreds column except for the 1 that was carried over from the tens column.

As there is nothing else to add, bring the one up to the total.

We have no numbers left to add and therefore have arrived at our answer: 143

​You can use exactly the same method to add larger and larger numbers, by adding extra columns on the left as needed for thousands, tens of thousands etc.

​Step 3

Add the prices on the receipt in the same way as the previous example.​

​This time you have a decimal point (.) to show fractions of one unit (a Pound £). When doing your column addition calculation, you can ignore the decimal point until you get to the end. Start by adding together the numbers in the right-hand column as before, working through the columns from right to left and carrying over any ‘tens’ to the next column.

Remember to include the decimal point at the end of your calculation; you should have two columns to the right of it. Technically these columns should be labelled 'Tenths' and 'Hundredths'.  However, try to add the numbers without using column headings. You may find it easier to write or print this example. Your final answer should be: £17.81. If you have arrived at a different answer, then check your working and try again.

​Practice

​14 + 3 = 70 + 10 =

​15 + 6 = 56 + 19 =

​8 + 1 = 7 + 35 =

​28 + 2 = 90 + 30 =

​$ 43 + $ 41 = 42 m + 11 m =

​78 cm + 5 cm $ 13 + $ 13 =