Adding and Taking Away: Foundation Study Guide
Children begin by acting out stories with objects before they use symbols.
Addition and subtraction start with stories. Three lorikeets are in the tree. Two more fly in. How many lorikeets now? A Foundation child can act it out with counters, draw it or count on their fingers: 3 and 2 more makes 5.
The words matter. Add, plus, altogether and join suggest putting together. Take away, minus, left and fewer suggest removing. The signs are + (plus), − (minus) and = (equals).
Making sense of stories
| Story | Action | Number sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ducks and 2 more arrive | Join | 4 + 2 = 6 |
| 7 apples, 3 are eaten | Take away | 7 − 3 = 4 |
| 2 red and 3 blue balls | Combine two groups | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| 9 stickers, 5 are given away | Take away | 9 − 5 = 4 |
Strategies
Counting on: start at the larger number and count up (for 6 + 2, say 'six… seven, eight'). Doubles: 3 + 3 = 6 and 4 + 4 = 8 are easy to remember and help with near-doubles. Number bonds to 10: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, 5 and 5.
Moving from objects to numbers
Use three steps: objects first, then pictures, then numbers. A child solves 5 − 2 by taking two counters away, then by crossing out two of five drawn dots, and finally by writing and saying '5 take away 2 leaves 3'.
Use real objects.
Dots or tally marks.
5 − 2 = 3.
Say it in a sentence.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Example: 8 children are on the slide and 3 climb off. 8 − 3 = 5 are left. Common mistakes: counting the starting number again (for 6 + 2 starting at 'one'), adding when the story says take away, and thinking the equals sign always means 'the answer is next'. Show 5 = 2 + 3 as well to teach that = means 'is the same as'.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. 5 + 4 = 9 frogs. 2. Double 4 is 8. 3. 10 − 6 = 4 biscuits.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Join stories use addition; take-away stories use subtraction.
- Doubles and number bonds to 10 are useful facts.
- Count on from the larger number.
- Move from objects to drawings to numbers.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Write a number sentence for 5 frogs and 4 more frogs.
- What is double 4?
- There are 10 biscuits and you eat 6. How many are left?