Putting groups together — Mathematics, 4–6 years
Addition describes what happens when a group gets joined by another group. We can find the new total by counting all the objects or by starting with the larger group and counting on.
Addition means joining
Addition is a way to describe two groups becoming one group. The numbers tell us how many were in each group, and the answer tells us how many there are altogether. The plus sign means that something is being added to what was already there.
Why add?
We often need a total after something joins what we already have: more blocks in a tower, more birds on a fence, or more cups on a table. Counting everything again works, but a joining rule makes the result quicker to find. It also lets us talk clearly about what changed.
Two apples and three
There are two apples in a bowl. Put three more apples beside them. Start at two and count on: three, four, five. So 2 + 3 = 5. You can check by touching every apple: the joined group contains five apples.
Counting the first group twice
When counting on, someone may say “one, two, three, four, five” after starting with two objects, accidentally counting those first two again. This is reasonable because the whole number sequence feels safer. Instead, say the number of the first group once, then count only the new objects: two, three, four, five.
Totals while playing
Addition appears when you build a tower with two blocks and add four more, collect one shell and then find two, or notice that three people join a group of two. The objects or people must really be joining the same group. If one group leaves, that is a different change.
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