Question 1
3 birds are on a fence. 4 more birds land. How many birds are there altogether?
Year 1
Solve one-step addition problems using objects and pictures
Look at two groups in a simple story, put them together, and work out the total.
Lesson overview
Number - addition and subtraction
A one-step addition problem asks us to combine two groups. We can look at the pictures, count each group, and then count how many there are altogether.
Worked example
There are 7 shells on the sand and 5 more shells are found. How many shells are there altogether?
- Count the first group. There are 7 shells.
- Count the second group. There are 5 more shells.
- Put both groups together.
- Count all the shells altogether. There are 12.
Try it
Read the story, look at both groups, then work out the total.
Question 2
Which number sentence matches the picture?
Question 3
5 cubes are on the table. 5 more cubes are added. How many cubes are there altogether?
Question 4
8 flowers are in the garden. 3 more flowers grow. How many flowers are there altogether?
Question 5
What do you do first in an addition story problem?
Common mistakes
These reminders help when solving addition story problems.
- Counting only one group and forgetting to add the second group.
- Starting the total again at 1 instead of continuing to count on.
- Reading the story but not checking what the question is asking altogether.
Related topics
These connect closely to one-step addition problems.
- Add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20, including zero.
- Solve one-step subtraction problems using objects and pictures.