Addition Number Sentences

by Laurie Laurendeau on January 10, 2012

If your child is learning his addition facts, he has probably been introduced to the concept of number sentences.  What exactly is a number sentence?  An addition number sentence has 2 numbers (or addends) being added together, along with the answer.  For example, “4+2=6” is a number sentence, as it includes both the addition question and its answer.

Your child will first be given various number sentences with the sum (answer) missing.  For example, he might see these types of questions:

  1. 3+2= ____
  2. 5+6= ____
  3. 7+3= ____
  4. 8+1= ____
  5. 2+4= ____

Next, he may be given number sentences with missing addends, such as:
1.   5+__ = 8

2.   __+3= 7

3.   4+__= 9

4.  __+8=10

5.  2+__=6

Then, your child may be given various story problems, and be asked to create his own number sentence.  For example:

  1. Michael went to the bookstore and bought 5 books.  He went back the next day and bought 3 more books.  How many books did Michael buy altogether?

Number Sentence:  5 + 3 = 8

Be sure to point out the “clue words” in the story problem that tell us that this is an addition problem.  The clue words from the above story problem are “more” and “altogether”.  Discuss these words with your child, pointing out that they suggest adding more to something.

WANT MORE?

  • As always, playing math games at home is a great way to reinforce math skills learned in school.
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