Addition & subtraction

Adding and Subtracting within 100

Year 1 · Year 2

  • By the end of this lesson students will be able to add a one-digit number to a two-digit number within 100.
  • By the end of this lesson students will be able to subtract a one-digit number from a two-digit number within 100.
  • By the end of this lesson students will be able to add and subtract multiples of 10 to/from a two-digit number within 100.
  • By the end of this lesson students will be able to use mental strategies, such as counting on or back, and partitioning, to solve addition and subtraction problems within 100.
  • By the end of this lesson students will be able to understand that addition can be done in any order, but subtraction cannot.

Key concepts

Numbers to 100: Tens and Ones

Every number up to 100 can be thought of as having 'tens' and 'ones'. For example, the number 34 has 3 tens and 4 ones. Understanding this helps us add and subtract.

Adding Ones

When you add a one-digit number to a two-digit number, you usually only change the 'ones' digit. For example, in 23 + 5, you add 3 ones and 5 ones to get 8 ones, so the answer is 28. Sometimes, adding the ones makes a new ten, like in 27 + 5. Here, 7 ones + 5 ones = 12 ones (which is 1 ten and 2 ones). So, 2 tens + 1 ten = 3 tens, and 2 ones. The answer is 32.

Subtracting Ones

When you subtract a one-digit number from a two-digit number, you usually only change the 'ones' digit. For example, in 38 - 6, you subtract 6 ones from 8 ones to get 2 ones, so the answer is 32. Sometimes, you need to 'exchange' a ten for ten ones if you don't have enough ones to subtract, like in 32 - 5. You can't take 5 ones from 2 ones, so you could think of 32 as 2 tens and 12 ones. Then 12 ones - 5 ones = 7 ones. So, 2 tens and 7 ones, which is 27.

Adding Tens

When you add a multiple of 10 (like 10, 20, 30) to a two-digit number, you only change the 'tens' digit. The 'ones' digit stays the same. For example, in 45 + 20, you add 2 tens to 4 tens to get 6 tens. The 5 ones stay the same. So, the answer is 65.

Subtracting Tens

When you subtract a multiple of 10 from a two-digit number, you only change the 'tens' digit. The 'ones' digit stays the same. For example, in 67 - 30, you subtract 3 tens from 6 tens to get 3 tens. The 7 ones stay the same. So, the answer is 37.

Mental Strategy: Counting On or Back

For addition, you can 'count on' from the larger number. For example, for 34 + 5, start at 34 and count on 5: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39. For subtraction, you can 'count back'. For example, for 38 - 6, start at 38 and count back 6: 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32. You can use a number line or your fingers to help.

Mental Strategy: Partitioning

Partitioning means breaking numbers into their tens and ones to make calculations easier. For example, to add 23 + 14, you can break 14 into 10 and 4. First, add the tens: 23 + 10 = 33. Then, add the ones: 33 + 4 = 37. You can also partition both numbers: 20 + 10 = 30, and 3 + 4 = 7. Then add these together: 30 + 7 = 37.

Key facts to remember

  • 1Numbers are made of 'tens' and 'ones'.
  • 2When adding or subtracting ones, the 'ones' digit usually changes.
  • 3When adding or subtracting tens, the 'tens' digit usually changes.
  • 4Counting on is a good mental strategy for addition.
  • 5Counting back is a good mental strategy for subtraction.
  • 6Partitioning (breaking numbers into tens and ones) helps make calculations easier.
  • 7Addition can be done in any order (e.g., 3 + 5 = 5 + 3).
  • 8Subtraction cannot be done in any order (e.g., 5 - 3 is not the same as 3 - 5).

Worked examples

Example 1

Calculate 42 + 6.

ILook at the 'ones' digits: 2 and 6.
IIAdd the 'ones': 2 + 6 = 8.
IIIThe 'tens' digit (4) stays the same.
IVPut the tens and ones together.

Answer

48

This is an example of adding ones without bridging a ten.

Example 2

Calculate 57 - 20.

ILook at the 'tens' digits: 5 (from 57) and 2 (from 20).
IISubtract the 'tens': 5 tens - 2 tens = 3 tens (which is 30).
IIIThe 'ones' digit (7) stays the same.
IVPut the tens and ones together.

Answer

37

This is an example of subtracting a multiple of ten.

Example 3

Calculate 36 + 18 using a mental strategy.

IWe can use partitioning. Break 18 into 10 and 8.
IIFirst, add the tens to 36: 36 + 10 = 46.
IIINext, add the remaining ones to 46: 46 + 8.
IVTo add 8 to 46, we can count on: 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54.

Answer

54

Another way to add 46 + 8 is to break 8 into 4 and 4. Add 46 + 4 = 50, then 50 + 4 = 54.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing up the 'tens' and 'ones' digits when adding or subtracting.
  • Forgetting to bridge a ten when adding ones (e.g., saying 27 + 5 = 212 instead of 32).
  • Counting incorrectly when using mental strategies like counting on or back.
  • Trying to subtract a larger number from a smaller number without understanding the concept (e.g., 3 - 5).
  • Not checking their answer to see if it makes sense.

Exam tips

  • Always look carefully at whether you need to add (+) or subtract (-).
  • Use a number line, your fingers, or draw pictures to help you with counting on or back.
  • Break down bigger numbers into tens and ones to make them easier to work with.
  • Practise your number bonds to 10 and 20 – they are super helpful for adding and subtracting bigger numbers!

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