Representing Addition and Subtraction
REPRESENTATIONALRepresent addition and subtraction using objects, drawings, and mental images
Mastery Evidence
- Use cubes or counters to show 3 + 2
- Draw a picture to represent a subtraction situation
- Use fingers to model an addition problem
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] has 3 apples and you give them 2 more, can they show you how many there are altogether — using their fingers, some small objects, or a drawing?”
Curriculum Standards2 alignments
K.OA.1Common Core State Standards for MathematicsRepresent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
Maths/Y1/AS/4The national curriculum in EnglandSolve one-step problems that involve addition and subtraction, using concrete objects and pictorial representations, and missing number problems such as 7 = [ ] – 9.
Prerequisites2
- Addition as combining or putting together twohardAges 4—6
- Subtraction as taking away or separatinghardAges 4—6
Show full prerequisite tree
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Representing addition with objects/drawings requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Representing subtraction with objects/drawings requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
Unlocks2
- Real-World to Maths ConnectionssoftAges 5—6
- Addition and subtraction word problemshardAges 4—6