Free Printable Year 2 Addition and Subtraction Facts to 20 Worksheets

About This Year 2 Maths Topic

In this unit, children develop fluency with addition facts to 20 and use those facts to recall related subtraction facts.

Fluency does not mean completing calculations as quickly as possible. It means children can recall or work out number facts accurately, efficiently and flexibly.

Children use materials, ten-frames, connecting cubes, part-part-whole diagrams and number sentences to explore strategies such as:

• doubles;
• near doubles;
• counting on;
• combinations to 10;
• bridging to 10;
• number partitions;
• addition and subtraction fact families.

For example, knowing:

8 + 7 = 15

helps children recall:

15 − 7 = 8 and 15 − 8 = 7.

These activities support Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 content descriptor AC9M2A02 and its associated elaborations.

The Big Idea for Parents

For the numbers 8, 7 and 15, the related fact family is:

• 8 + 7 = 15
• 7 + 8 = 15
• 15 − 8 = 7
• 15 − 7 = 8

Children should understand these relationships before relying on memorisation.

Learning Intentions

Children will learn to:

• recall addition facts to 20;
• develop related subtraction facts;
• use ten-frames to represent number facts;
• use connecting cubes to partition numbers;
• identify and use doubles facts;
• use doubles to solve near-doubles facts;
• count on from the larger number;
• recognise combinations that make 10;
• bridge through 10 when adding;
• partition and rearrange collections;
• represent facts with part-part-whole diagrams;
• create addition and subtraction fact families;
• find number partitions systematically;
• explain how they know all partitions have been found;
• choose an efficient mental strategy.

Student Success Criteria

Key Vocabulary

Teacher Guide for Parents

Teachers develop number-fact fluency through meaning, relationships and repeated practice rather than timed memorisation alone.

At home, follow this sequence: make it, see it, explain it, connect it and recall it.

1. Begin with Physical Materials

Use counters, connecting cubes, buttons or other small objects to represent addition and subtraction facts.

For example, show:

6 + 4 = 10

Make one group of 6 and one group of 4. Join the groups and count the total.

2. Use Ten-Frames

Ten-frames make combinations to 10 easy to see.

Place 7 counters in a ten-frame. Ask:

• How many spaces are filled?
• How many spaces are empty?
• What number combines with 7 to make 10?

Children should recognise:

7 + 3 = 10

and the related subtraction facts:

10 − 7 = 3 and 10 − 3 = 7.

3. Develop Combinations to 10

Number combinations to 10 support many later calculation strategies.

Practise:

• 0 and 10;
• 1 and 9;
• 2 and 8;
• 3 and 7;
• 4 and 6;
• 5 and 5.

Ask the combinations in different orders so children understand the relationship rather than memorising only one sequence.

4. Use Doubles Facts

Doubles facts involve adding two equal numbers.

Examples include:

• 2 + 2 = 4
• 4 + 4 = 8
• 6 + 6 = 12
• 8 + 8 = 16
• 10 + 10 = 20

Represent doubles using matching cube towers, counters, ten-frames or fingers.

5. Use Near-Doubles Facts

A near double has two numbers that differ by one.

For example:

6 + 7

Use the known double:

6 + 6 = 12

Then add one more:

12 + 1 = 13

Therefore:

6 + 7 = 13

6. Count On from the Larger Number

When one addend is small, children can begin with the larger number and count on.

For:

9 + 3

start at 9 and count:

10, 11, 12

The answer is 12.

Children should not count the starting number as the first count.

7. Bridge Through 10

Bridging to 10 involves partitioning one addend so the first number reaches 10.

For example:

8 + 7

Eight needs 2 to make 10. Partition 7 into 2 and 5:

8 + 2 + 5 = 15

Therefore:

8 + 7 = 15

A ten-frame can show this movement clearly.

8. Represent Part-Part-Whole Relationships

A part-part-whole diagram shows two parts that combine to make a whole.

For:

8 + 7 = 15

• one part is 8;
• the other part is 7;
• the whole is 15.

The diagram can then be used to find a missing part:

15 − 7 = 8

9. Build Fact Families

Choose two parts and a whole, then write the four related number facts.

For 9, 6 and 15:

• 9 + 6 = 15
• 6 + 9 = 15
• 15 − 9 = 6
• 15 − 6 = 9

Ask your child to explain why the subtraction facts begin with the whole.

10. Use Addition to Solve Subtraction

Children can think of subtraction as finding a missing part.

For:

15 − 8

ask:

“What must be added to 8 to make 15?”

Since:

8 + 7 = 15

then:

15 − 8 = 7

11. Partition and Rearrange Collections

Give your child a collection and ask them to divide it into two parts in several ways.

For a collection of 10:

• 10 and 0;
• 9 and 1;
• 8 and 2;
• 7 and 3;
• 6 and 4;
• 5 and 5.

Rearranging the objects changes the parts but not the total.

12. Record Number Partitions Systematically

Children should develop an organised method for finding every possible partition.

For 10, begin with:

10 = 10 + 0

Decrease the first part by 1 and increase the second part by 1:

• 10 = 9 + 1
• 10 = 8 + 2
• 10 = 7 + 3
• 10 = 6 + 4
• 10 = 5 + 5
• 10 = 4 + 6
• 10 = 3 + 7
• 10 = 2 + 8
• 10 = 1 + 9
• 10 = 0 + 10

13. Use the Birds in Two Trees Context

Use counters or drawings to represent 10 birds shared between two trees.

Ask:

“How many different ways can the 10 birds be spread between the two trees?”

Record each possibility in a table or number sentence.

14. Notice the Commutative Property of Addition

Changing the order of the addends does not change the total.

For example:

7 + 8 = 15

and:

8 + 7 = 15

These facts can be represented by rearranging the same collection.

15. Explain Patterns Within Number Facts

Ask children to compare related facts.

For example:

• 6 + 6 = 12
• 6 + 7 = 13
• 6 + 8 = 14

As the second addend increases by one, the total also increases by one.

16. Choose an Efficient Strategy

Different facts may be solved efficiently using different strategies.

• 8 + 8 is suited to a doubles strategy.
• 8 + 9 is suited to a near-doubles strategy.
• 13 − 3 may use a known subtraction fact.
• 9 + 4 may use bridging through 10.
• 16 − 7 may use a related addition fact.

Children should be encouraged to explain why a strategy is useful.

17. Develop Recall Gradually

Move from materials to diagrams, then to mental recall.

1. Build the fact with objects.
2. Represent it on a ten-frame.
3. Draw or record the strategy.
4. Explain the relationship.
5. Practise recalling the fact without materials.

Recommended Teaching Sequence at Home

1. Represent addition facts with objects.
2. Use ten-frames to develop combinations to 10.
3. Practise doubles facts.
4. Use doubles to solve near doubles.
5. Count on from the larger number.
6. Bridge through 10.
7. Use part-part-whole diagrams.
8. Build addition and subtraction fact families.
9. Use addition facts to solve subtraction facts.
10. Partition numbers systematically.
11. Explain patterns and relationships.
12. Practise accurate and efficient recall.

Common Misconceptions and How Parents Can Help

Simple Home Addition and Subtraction Activities

Questions Parents Can Ask

• What do you notice on the ten-frame?
• How many more are needed to make 10?
• Is there a doubles fact that can help?
• Is this a near double?
• Which number should you count on from?
• How could you bridge through 10?
• How could you partition the second addend?
• What are the two parts?
• What is the whole?
• Which addition fact can help with this subtraction?
• What other facts belong in this fact family?
• Do all four facts use the same three numbers?
• Can you represent the calculation with cubes?
• Can you draw a part-part-whole diagram?
• Have you found every number partition?
• How do you know none are missing?
• Which strategy is most efficient?
• Can you solve the fact another way?
• What pattern do you notice?
• How can you check your answer?

Mathematical Sentence Starters

Supporting Different Learners at Home

Children Who Need More Support

• use physical materials for every calculation;
• begin with facts to 10 before extending to 20;
• practise combinations to 5 and then combinations to 10;
• use five-frames before ten-frames;
• focus on one strategy at a time;
• provide completed doubles facts for reference;
• use part-part-whole diagrams with labels;
• build fact families using three number cards;
• record number partitions in an organised table;
• allow oral explanations before written responses.

Children Ready for Extension

• solve facts using more than one strategy;
• compare which strategy is most efficient;
• explain patterns within a set of related facts;
• find missing numbers in fact families;
• create fact families for totals greater than 10;
• complete number partitions for numbers to 20;
• identify an incorrect part-part-whole diagram;
• write a word problem for a given fact family;
• explain why addition is commutative but subtraction is not;
• design a number-fact game for another learner.

Quick Parent Check

Use these questions to check whether your child understands the main ideas.

1. Use a ten-frame to show 7 + 5.
2. Use a doubles fact to solve 8 + 9.
3. Count on to solve 13 + 4.
4. Bridge through 10 to solve 8 + 6.
5. Write the fact family for 7, 8 and 15.
6. Use an addition fact to solve 16 − 9.
7. Draw a part-part-whole diagram for 6 + 9 = 15.
8. List all the partitions of 8 into two parts.
9. Explain how you know all partitions have been found.
10. Choose an efficient strategy for 9 + 7 and explain it.

A child shows secure understanding when they can recall or efficiently derive addition facts to 20, connect them with related subtraction facts and explain the strategy used.

Quick Exit Ticket

1. Use a near-double to solve 7 + 8.
2. Write two related subtraction facts.
3. Show two different partitions of 12.

Printable Teacher, Parent and Student Resources

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Home Learning Summary

Number-fact fluency develops when children understand relationships and practise using efficient strategies.

Use this simple routine:

1. represent the number fact with materials;
2. identify a useful strategy;
3. record the calculation;
4. connect addition and subtraction facts;
5. explain the reasoning;
6. practise accurate recall.

Related Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 Maths Topics

Children who need additional support can revisit these earlier number, partitioning, addition and subtraction topics.