Read questions aloud. Student starts with some objects, then adds more.

Materials: 10 counters

How to use: Give student starting amount (e.g., 3 blocks), say "you get 2 more", give 2 more, ask "how many now?" Student counts all. This is addition as increase! Key: start with amount, add to it, count new total.

Adding to means starting with some objects and getting more! This is different from putting together because we start with one group and make it bigger by adding to it.

The Basic Idea

• Start with a certain number of objects
• More objects are added to that group
• The amount increases
• Count to find the new total

Simple Example

• Start: 🍎🍎🍎 (3 apples)
• Someone gives you: 🍎🍎 (2 more apples)
• Now you have: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 (5 apples)
• Your apples increased!

Step 1: Start with a Group

• Begin with some objects
• Count them: "I have 3 blocks"
• This is your starting amount

Step 2: More Are Added

• Someone gives you more
• You find more
• You get more
• These join your original group

Step 3: Count the New Total

• Count all the objects now
• Start from 1 and count everything
• The last number is your new total

Step 4: Notice the Change

• "Before I had 3"
• "Now I have 5"
• "I have more than before!"

At Snack Time

• "You have 2 crackers. Mom gives you 3 more crackers. How many now?"
• Start with 2, add 3, have 5

With Toys

• "You're playing with 3 toy cars. Dad brings you 1 more car. How many cars do you have now?"
• Start with 3, add 1, have 4

In the Garden

• "There are 2 flowers. 2 more flowers bloom. How many flowers now?"
• Start with 2, add 2, have 4

With Friends

• "3 children are playing. 1 more child joins. How many children are playing now?"
• Start with 3, add 1, have 4

Action Words for Adding To

• Get more
• Receive
• Someone gives you
• More join
• More come
• Find more
• Bring more

Question Words

• How many now?
• How many do you have now?
• How many altogether?
• How many in all?

Build and Add

Materials: Building blocks
1. Child builds with 3 blocks
2. You hand them 2 more blocks
3. "Add these to your building"
4. "How many blocks in your building now?"

Story Time Math

Tell stories and act them out:
"Sam has 2 stickers. His teacher gives him 1 more sticker. Use these buttons to be stickers. Show me what happens. How many stickers does Sam have now?"

Snack Addition

Materials: Small snacks
1. Give child 2 goldfish crackers
2. Child counts: "I have 2"
3. Give 2 more: "Here are 2 more for you"
4. "How many do you have now?"
5. Count together

Toy Collection Game

Materials: Small toys or counters
1. Start: "You have 3 bears"
2. Action: "You found 2 more bears!"
3. Question: "How many bears do you have now?"
4. Count all the bears

Children learn best by acting out:

Bird Story:
- "2 birds are in the nest" (put 2 counters in a cup)
- "3 more birds fly to the nest" (add 3 counters)
- "How many birds in the nest now?" (count all: 5)

Book Story:
- "You have 4 books on your shelf" (line up 4 books)
- "Mom brings you 1 more book" (add 1 book)
- "How many books on your shelf now?" (count: 5)

Jump and Add

• "Jump 2 times. Now jump 1 more time. How many jumps altogether?"
• Physical movement makes it real

Clap and Add

• "Clap 3 times. Now clap 2 more times. How many claps in all?"
• Counting actions helps understanding

Step and Add

• "Take 2 big steps. Now take 1 more step. How many steps did you take?"
• Movement connects to numbers

Challenge 1: Forgetting the Starting Amount

• Problem: Child only counts what was added
• Solution: "Remember, you started with 3. Let's count all of them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5"

Challenge 2: Not Understanding the Story

• Problem: Doesn't know what's being asked
• Solution: Act it out with real objects
• Show the starting amount, then add more

Challenge 3: Counting Too Fast

• Problem: Makes errors when counting the new total
• Solution: Count slowly together
• Touch each object while counting

Challenge 4: Confusion About "How Many Now?"

• Problem: Not sure if they should count what was added or the total
• Solution: "Now means all of them together. Count everything!"

Addition Makes Things Bigger

• When we add to a group, we get more
• The new amount is bigger than what we started with
• This is an important concept!

Different Ways to Count

Children might count in different ways:
- Count all: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" (start from beginning)
- Count on: "3... 4, 5" (start from original amount)

Both are fine! Most Pre-K children count all.

The Answer Changed

• "Before: 3 blocks"
• "After: 5 blocks"
• Adding to changes the amount
• Understanding change is important

Use Small Numbers

• Start with adding 1 or 2
• Keep totals under 5 at first
• Gradually increase to totals of 10

Make It Real

• Use real situations from child's life
• "You have 2 toys. Grandma brought 1 more."
• Real contexts make math meaningful

Show the Before and After

• "Before: count 1, 2, 3"
• Add more
• "After: count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5"
• Seeing the change helps understanding

Use Consistent Language

• "You have... You get more... Now you have..."
• Predictable language helps learning

Practice Daily

• Find adding-to situations all day
• Meals, play, transitions
• Natural practice is best

Growing Collections

• "You have 3 rocks. You found 2 more. Your collection grew!"
• Adding to is like growing

Receiving Gifts

• "You had 2 cars. Your birthday brought 3 more!"
• Getting more is adding to

Finding Things

• "We collected 3 leaves. We found 2 more. Now we have more!"
• Discovery involves adding to

Adding To vs. Putting Together

Both are addition, but feel different:
- Putting together: Two separate groups combine
- Adding to: One group gets bigger

Children experience both types naturally.

Foundation for Mental Math

Later, children will be able to:
- "I have 5, I get 2 more, that's 7"
- Without counting!

But for now, counting with objects is perfect.

Can the child:
- Tell you how many they start with?
- Show adding more objects to the group?
- Count the new total correctly?
- Answer "how many now?"
- Repeat with different starting amounts?
- Explain what happened?

Once children understand adding to:
- They're ready to learn about taking away
- They can try adding to with slightly bigger numbers
- They can create their own adding-to stories
- They're building a strong foundation for addition!

Adding to is a key way to understand addition!