Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Adding Within 20 Worksheet for Year 1 (Free Printable)
- ForYear 1 (Free Printable)
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Adding Within 20 is a free printable worksheet for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Children practise adding with short, focused questions. There are 18 questions in three steps, then a challenge question. Page 2 gives the grown-up full answers and teacher notes.
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 18 numbered addition questions in three steps, with a space to write each answer. Then they try a challenge question. The sheet practises adding within 20, which builds mental maths and recall of number facts. Children can use counters, a number line, fingers or quick drawings to help. Work through the first few questions together, then let your child carry on alone and explain their thinking.
A worked example
8 + 6 = ?
This question is our own and is here to show two ways children can work. Children can choose the method that makes sense to them.
Method 1: count on from the bigger number- Start with the bigger number, 8. Say "eight" out loud.
- Count on 6 more, one finger for each: nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.
- The last number you say is the total.
- Start with 8. It needs 2 more to reach 10.
- Split the 6 into 2 and 4. Add the 2 to the 8 to make 10.
- Add the 4 that is left: 10 + 4 = 14.
Why adding within 20 matters
Adding within 20 is one of the first big steps in written and mental maths. Children move from counting every single object to using what they already know. They begin to see that numbers can be split and put together in different ways. Short questions with small totals let them practise this again and again until it starts to feel automatic.
The numbers up to 20 are also where children first cross a ten. Adding across ten is trickier than adding within ten, because the answer moves into the teens. Counters, number lines and ten frames all help children see what is happening. Talking about how they worked out an answer matters as much as getting it right.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding within 20
- Mental maths
- Number facts
- Counting on
- Checking answers
Number ideas that make adding easier
- Order does not matterYou can add two numbers in either order and get the same total. Starting with the bigger number is often quicker.
- Adding zeroWhen you add zero to a number, the number stays the same. Nothing has been added.
- DoublesA double is a number added to itself. Doubles are easy to remember and help with the numbers next to them.
- Number bonds to 10Pairs of numbers that make 10 are very useful. Knowing them helps children add across ten.
Key words
- AddPut two amounts together to find the total.
- TotalThe amount you have after adding. It is also called the sum.
- Count onStart at one number and count up from there, instead of counting everything again.
- Number lineA line of numbers in order. You can jump along it to add.
- Number bondTwo numbers that join to make another number. They are also called number pairs.
- EqualsMeans "is the same as". The sign is =.
How to use it
- Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the answers and notes.
- Work through the first few questions together. Read each one aloud and talk about how to solve it.
- Let your child choose a way to work, such as counters, a number line, fingers or a drawing. Count on from the bigger number if they get stuck.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" and praise their thinking as well as the answer.
- Come back to the sheet on another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use counters or a number line. Start with the bigger number, then count on the smaller one, with one finger or counter for each step. Say the numbers out loud. Try a few questions at a time and come back to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Try the challenge question at the end. Then write three similar questions of your own for a friend to answer. Check their answers together and talk about the way each of you worked.
Make it a game
Race the clock. Set a timer for ten minutes and count how many questions you get right. Next time, try to beat your own score. Only compare with yourself, so everyone can improve.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child counts the starting number as the first step, so the total is one too small. For example, with 7 + 3 they say "seven, eight, nine" and stop.
Try thisSay the starting number first, then put up one finger for each new number. For 7 + 3, say "seven", then "eight" (one finger), "nine" (two fingers), "ten" (three fingers). The last number said is the total.
Watch forA child counts on from the smaller number and loses track of how many they have counted.
Try thisStart with the bigger number instead. There are fewer steps to count, so it is quicker and easier to get right.
Watch forA child adds only the ones when a total goes past ten and forgets the ten itself.
Try thisUse a ten frame or counters. Fill one frame to make ten, then count what is left over and add it on.
Talk about it
- How did you work that one out?
- Is there another way to find the same total?
- Does it matter which number you start with? Why?
- Which questions felt quick and which felt tricky?
- How could you check your answer?
- Can you make up a question like this one for me?
Take it off the page
Counter shops
Set out a pile of small objects such as buttons or pasta shapes. Take two handfuls, count each, then add them together. Say the number sentence out loud.
Number line on the path
Draw a line of numbers 0 to 20 in chalk on the ground. Stand on a number and jump on to add. Say each number as you land.
Card pairs
Use playing cards with the picture cards removed. Turn over two, add them and say the total. Count the pips if you need help.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. Praise effort and ask how they found each answer.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives answers plus support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with counting games, books and everyday talk about numbers. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, children count objects, learn number bonds within 10 and add small numbers using objects. Fluency with those smaller facts makes adding within 20 much easier.
After it, children move on to subtraction within 20, then adding and subtracting larger numbers in Year 2. Secure addition facts within 20 are the base for working with tens and ones later on.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Adding Within 20 for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. It links to the Year 1 maths strand on adding and subtracting one digit and two digit numbers to 20, including zero.
- What will children practise?
They practise addition with short, focused questions. The sheet builds mental maths and number fact recall, and children can use counters, a number line or fingers to help.
- 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. Work through the first few questions together, then let your child try alone.
- What if it feels too hard?
Slow down and use counters or a number line. Count on from the bigger number. Try just a few questions at a time and come back to the rest another day.
- What is on page 2?
Page 2 is for the grown-up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the full answers.
- Is it free, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. You do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider plan, and print it again for revision.
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.