Addition and subtraction word problems – Kindergarten math lesson
Lesson 5 of 10 in the Kindergarten math course
US version. US grades, US spelling and dollars ($). · UK Maths Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for Kindergarten (ages 5–6) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is graded right away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 15 min homework
- Grade
- Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Graded
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is graded straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to grade anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “How did your drawing help you choose the calculation?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Seeing "more" and always adding. Draw it: "how many more" compares two amounts, so find the difference.
- Answering only the first step of a two-step problem. Re-read the question at the end: have you answered what it asks?
Tip for home: Make up small story problems at snack time: 6 grapes, eat 2, how many left?
What your child will learn
Learning goal: solve one-step and two-step word problems by adding or subtracting.
Success looks like
- I can choose to add or subtract.
- I can draw the problem.
- I can solve two-step problems.
Key words
- altogether
- the total – usually add
- left
- what remains – usually subtract
- how many more
- the difference between two amounts
- bar model
- a drawing of bars that shows the parts and the whole
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Act the problem out with toys or food: put them together, take some away, or line two groups up to compare.
The big ideas (for the adult)
Read the problem twice. Find the numbers and decide what you need to find out.
Ask: am I putting together (add), taking away or comparing (subtract)?
Draw a picture or a bar model, write the number sentence, then answer the question in words.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, graded by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Closure and exit ticket | 6 min | Graded by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are graded by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all graded instantly.
More practice
More Kindergarten math lessons
Curriculum
Common Core State Standards K.OA.A.2: “Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.”
Common Core State Standards K.OA.A.1: “Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings¹, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.”
Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.