Adding with things you can hold

Put them together in one pile and count the pile.

The question

You have 2 mangoes. Amma gives you 3 more. How many now?

The trick

Adding just means pushing two groups together and counting what you end up with. Use real things — mangoes, marbles, bangles, stones from outside.

Worked example

1Put 2 mangoes on the table. Count them: one, two.
2Put 3 more beside them. Count those: one, two, three.
3Now push them all into one pile.
4Count the whole pile from the start: one, two, three, four, five.

So: 5

Remember it like this

Adding is making one pile out of two piles. Push them together, then count everything.

In the exam

Once your child is confident, teach them to 'count on': start at the bigger number and count up. For 2 + 3, start at 3 and say 'four, five'. That is the shortcut that carries them for years.

Why it works

Before a child can add in their head, they must see that combining two groups makes a bigger one. Real objects show it; symbols on paper only describe it.

Explain this to my childGet the words to teach it, in your language

Try it yourself

0/4 correct

1
2 + 3 = ?
2 + 3 = ?
2
4 + 1 = ?
4 + 1 = ?
3
3 + 3 = ?
3 + 3 = ?
4
5 + 2 = ?
5 + 2 = ?