Addition Facts to 20
30 addition facts on two pages, written across the line like 8 + 5 = ___. Both numbers run from 1 to 10, so every sum is between 2 and 20. Use it with 1st and 2nd graders who can count on and are working toward just knowing the answer.
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Getting past counting on
The facts that slow kids down are the ones that cross ten, like 8 + 5 or 7 + 6. Teach them to make a ten first: move 2 from the 5 over to the 8, and 8 + 5 becomes 10 + 3. The same move works on every fact with an 8 or a 9 in it.
Doubles are the other shortcut. A child who knows 6 + 6 = 12 gets 6 + 7 by adding one more. While a student works, watch which facts they still count on their fingers. Those are the ones to practice, with the addition chart nearby for checking.
Once these come quickly, try the timed version: the Math Minute addition drill has 30 facts with sums to 20 and a one-minute limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade learns addition facts to 20?
1st graders add and subtract within 20, and by the end of 2nd grade students are expected to know all the sums of two one-digit numbers from memory. This sheet fits anywhere in that stretch.
What is the make-ten strategy?
Split one number so the other becomes 10. For 9 + 6, take 1 from the 6 to turn the 9 into 10, then add the 5 that's left: 10 + 5 = 15. It turns the hardest facts into adding to 10.
Is it OK for kids to count on their fingers?
Yes. Counting on is a normal step and it gets the right answer. It's slow for sums over 10, though, and easy to miscount, so the goal is to move to make-ten and doubles for the bigger facts.