Mathematics (Addition)

Many parents tend to want to target academic skills such as addition with their child. However, before teaching addition, there is a need to ensure that the learner has met the necessary prerequisite skills (i.e. identifying numbers, counting objects, matching number to quantity, etc.). Should the learner meet the prerequisite skills, we can look at teaching the learner to add.

Teaching addition can be broken down into easier steps and should be catered to the level of the learner. Some learners find it easier to learn addition using physical objects. In this case, you can provide objects for the learner to place under each number before adding the sum together.

Examples of how a learner can use physical objects to learn how to add with number cards, paper plates, and counting bears.

As they get better at adding, we can migrate teaching addition to worksheets. These worksheets can modified according to your learner’s level. For example, should the learner be unable to write numbers, the instructor can accept a verbal answer; allow the learner to answer by selecting a number card; or provide possible answers for the learner to circle as seen in figure 1.