Math Core

Now you can put groups together. Let's learn a short way to write it! Math has special signs that tell the adding story.

The plus sign and the equal sign

Here is an adding story: 2 fish and 1 more fish make 3 fish.

🐟 🐟 🐟

We can write it like this:

2 + 1 = 3

Plus and equals

The plus sign $+$ means "put together." Say it "plus."

The equal sign $=$ means "is the same as." Say it "equals."

$2 + 1 = 3$ says "two plus one equals three."

Adding small numbers

The number after the equal sign is the sum. It tells how many in all. You can find it with objects, with your fingers, or by counting.

Worked example: Use pictures

What is $1 + 3$ ?

🐞 + 🐞 🐞 🐞

Count them all: one, two, three, four. So $1 + 3 = 4$ .

Worked example: Use your fingers

What is $2 + 2$ ?

Hold up 2 fingers. Then hold up 2 more. Count all the fingers up: one, two, three, four. So $2 + 2 = 4$ .

Worked example: Adding zero

What is $4 + 0$ ?

🍩 🍩 🍩 🍩 + (nothing)

Zero means none. You add no more donuts, so you still have 4. So $4 + 0 = 4$ .

Tip

You can add in either order. $1 + 4$ and $4 + 1$ are both $5$ .

Common mistake

The $+$ sign means put together. The answer is always at least as big as each number you add. If $2 + 3$ gives you 1, check again!

Practice

Practice 1

What is $1 + 1$ ?

🐶 + 🐶

Type a number.

Practice 2

What is $2 + 1$ ?

🌟 🌟 + 🌟

Type a number.

Practice 3

What is $3 + 2$ ?

🍇 🍇 🍇 + 🍇 🍇

Type a number.

Practice 4

What is $0 + 3$ ?

Type a number.

Practice 5

What is $1 + 4$ ?

Type a number.

Practice 6

Which one shows $2 + 2$ ?

Practice 7

What is $3 + 1$ ?

Type a number.