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Adding Within 10 Worksheet for Reception (Free Printable)

  • ForReception (Free Printable)
  • StageEarly Years
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Adding Within 10 is a free printable maths worksheet for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children practise adding with short, focused questions. There are 18 questions in three steps, then a challenge question. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and every answer.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages on A4, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children work through numbered questions and write each answer in the space provided. The 18 questions are arranged in three steps, so children can settle in before moving on. At the end there is a challenge question for anyone who is ready for more. Counters or a number line can sit beside the sheet. Talk about each answer together, especially the first time, so children say how they worked it out.

Worked example: counting on

5 + 4

We chose this example ourselves to show how a child might work. It is a model for you to talk through, not a question taken from the sheet.

Method 1: count on from the bigger number
  1. Find the bigger number. It is 5, so say "five" first.
  2. Hold up 4 fingers, one for each number to add.
  3. Count on and fold a finger down each time: six, seven, eight, nine.
  4. The last number you say is the total.
Method 2: use counters
  1. Put out 5 counters of one colour.
  2. Put out 4 counters of another colour.
  3. Push them together and count them all, touching each one once.
  4. Check by counting again from the other end.
9

Why practise adding within 10?

The numbers up to 10 are the foundation of early maths. Children who know how small numbers join and split find bigger sums easier later on. The Early Learning Goal for Number in the Early Years Foundation Stage asks children to automatically recall number bonds up to 5 and some to 10. Short, regular practice helps those facts become familiar.

Adding is about putting amounts together. Young children learn this best with real things they can touch, such as counters, blocks, buttons or fingers. The written sheet then links those hands on experiences to numbers on paper. Talking aloud matters too. When a child explains what they did, they begin to understand it, not just remember it.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Adding within 10
  • Counting on
  • Mental maths
  • Number facts
  • Number bonds

Ideas that help with adding

  • Count onStart with the bigger number and count on the smaller one. This is quicker than counting everything from one.
  • Order does not matterTwo numbers can be added in either order and the total stays the same. Showing this with counters helps children trust it.
  • Use your fingersFingers are a first tool for adding. Let children use them. Over time many will start to picture the numbers instead.
  • Know your bondsNumber bonds are pairs of numbers that make a given total. Knowing them well makes adding faster and more confident.

Key words

  • AddPut two amounts together to find how many there are altogether.
  • TotalHow many you have after adding. It is the answer to an adding question.
  • Count onStart at one number and say the next numbers in order to add.
  • Number bondTwo numbers that join to make a certain total.
  • Number lineA line of numbers in order. You can move along it to count on.
  • CountersSmall objects you can move and count to show a number.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the answers and notes.
  2. Put counters or a number line within reach. Read the first question aloud and let your child say what they notice.
  3. Work through the first few questions together. Talk about each choice and let your child decide how to work it out.
  4. Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" Praise effort and thinking, not only correct answers.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Use counters or a number line. Count on from the bigger number and say each number out loud. Try a few questions at a time and take a break. Come back to the rest another day, when it feels easier.

To stretch confident children

Try the challenge question at the end. Then write three similar questions for a friend to answer. Check their answers together and talk about how they worked them out.

Make it a game

Play finger flash. Two players each hold up some fingers on one hand, from none to five, at the same time. The first to say the total correctly wins a counter. Play to ten counters.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child counts the starting number as the first step, so the total is one too small.

Try thisSay the starting number first, then count on with fingers. Only the new numbers get a finger.

Watch forA child counts everything from one each time and loses their place.

Try thisUse counters and touch each one as you count. Then show how to start with the bigger number instead.

Watch forA child writes one of the numbers in the question instead of the total.

Try thisAsk, "Is that how many altogether?" Put the two groups together with counters and count them again.

Talk about it

  • What does adding mean? Can you show me with counters?
  • Which number would you start with when you count on? Why?
  • How did you work that one out? Is there another way?
  • Can you check your answer in a different way?
  • Which question did you find easiest? Which was trickiest?
  • Can you think of a time at home when you add things together?

Take it off the page

Toy counting

Collect two small groups of toys. Count each group, then push them together and count the total. Say the sum out loud.

Chalk number line

Draw a number line outdoors with chalk. Stand on a number and jump on to add. Count each jump aloud.

Number bond bags

Put a set number of buttons or pasta shapes in a bag. Tip them out and split them into two groups in different ways. Count each group.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. Keep counters nearby and praise their thinking.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider maths plan alongside books, outdoor play and everyday talk. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.

Where this fits in learning

Before this sheet, children count objects, recognise small groups of things without counting and begin to explore number bonds to 5. They also learn that adding means putting amounts together.

After it, children build quicker recall of number bonds to 10 and begin adding beyond 10. In Year 1 the number curriculum moves on to adding and subtracting within 20, so secure facts now will help later.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Adding Within 10 for?

It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children may enjoy it with a lot of help, and older children can use it for quick revision.

What will children practise?

Children practise adding with short, focused questions. This builds mental maths and number facts. The Early Learning Goal link is to automatically recall number bonds up to 5 and some to 10.

How do I use it?

Print both pages on A4. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2, which has every answer, for yourself. Use counters or a number line. Work through it together the first time, then let them try alone.

What if it feels too hard?

Slow down and use counters or a number line. Count on from the bigger number. Try only a few questions at a time and come back another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.

How long should we spend on it?

Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. Stop when your child tires and come back another day. There is no need to finish page 1 in one sitting.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children only need a pencil, and counters or a number line can help them work out answers.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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