Elementary Addition: Subject Overview

Teaching Your Child Elementary Addition

Getting Started at Home

The first step is to identify what your child needs to know. You can do this by checking the school's learning standards. Many K-12 math curriculums in the United States are based on the Common Core State Standards, which are available online. Alternatively, ask your child's teacher for more information.

Once your aware of what your child needs to know, figure out what areas your child struggles with. Talk to your child's teachers to find out exactly what he or she needs and if there are any areas in which your child is struggling. If it's necessary to hire professional help, such as a tutor, your child's teachers can point you in the right direction.

While what your child learns at school will be the foundation of his or her addition skills, what you're able to do for your child at home can be quite helpful. If it's possible, create an area that's free of distractions and clutter, where you child can concentrate exclusively on homework.

Teaching Addition Facts to Your Child

As your child progresses through school, there are several aspects of addition that he or she will need to master. For instance, adding single-digit numbers is an entirely different game from adding two or three-digit numbers. Teaching your child addition facts can be a solid way to help him or her comprehend addition as well as add numbers quickly and accurately.

Addition Lessons at House

To help improve your child adding skills at home, have your child can count common objects around the house, like candy, buttons, loose change or eggs. For a fun, interactive activity, take your child to the park and fill up a number of water balloons. Allow your child to throw each balloon as he or she counts them. Additionally, introduce quantitative vocabulary into everyday conversation by using words like 'how many, 'how much', 'less than', 'more than' and 'total'.

The Internet can also be a solid source of educational materials when it comes to math. There are free addition worksheets, activities, games, quizzes and more that you can assign to your child. You can also find a variety of addition-related songs that you can sing with your child.