Grouping numbers to add
Understand and apply the associative property of addition: when adding three numbers, any two can be added first
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“If your child needs to add 3 + 7 + 6, can they spot that adding 3 and 7 first (to make 10) is easier — rather than always working left to right?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Understand and apply the associative property of addition: when adding three numbers, any two can be added first
What to notice. Solve 2 + 6 + 4 by first adding 6 + 4 = 10, then 2 + 10 = 12 • Explain that grouping addends differently gives the same total • Choose which two numbers to add first to make the calculation easier
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If your child needs to add 3 + 7 + 6, can they spot that adding 3 and 7 first (to make 10) is easier — rather than always working left to right?
Understand and apply the associative property of addition: when adding three numbers, any two can be added first
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Check understanding
- Solve 2 + 6 + 4 by first adding 6 + 4 = 10, then 2 + 10 = 12
- Explain that grouping addends differently gives the same total
- Choose which two numbers to add first to make the calculation easier
“If your child needs to add 3 + 7 + 6, can they spot that adding 3 and 7 first (to make 10) is easier — rather than always working left to right?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Addition & Subtraction
- Age range
- Ages 6–7
Standards