The Beginning...Mastering Basic Addition Facts
Why can't some kids add even the simplest math facts?

Some students are system learners or more right-brained than left-brained. The whole number system doesn't make sense to them and they are not great at simply memorizing math facts. Therefore you need to help them see the system for doing math. Unfortunately, adding doesn't have a very clear system to it.
 At first it is important to just get them to come up with an answer. This is normally accomplished by using their fingers.

Unfortunately most of these students insist on counting the first set of fingers as well as the fingers they are adding on.
For example, 4 + 3, they lay out four fingers on one hand and three fingers on the other hand and then they use up a great deal of time and energy counting all seven fingers.
So start by discouraging them from counting the first number (4) and just hold up enough fingers for the added on portion (3).
If you can do this, you cut the time it takes to complete one math fact by almost half.

The second step is to teach them the system to adding zero and one.

• "A number plus zero is the number." Using a very large number with some of the basic plus zero math facts is a good way to illustrate this. A trillion plus zero is a trillion. Kids love this.
• Plus one can be simply explained as just being the next number on the number line. Say things like "What number comes next?" "What number comes after 4?"
• Adding twos is easily done if the student uses the top of the two as one point to add and the bottom of the two for the second point.
  When adding 4 + 2 , they say the first number and then use there pencil point to hop down the number two, starting with 4 and counting 5, 6.
  Adding two to an even number can be greatly helped if the student can count by twos. Then the "What come next when you count by twos?" might work. Of course now you have to deal with the odd numbers.
  If they always have a ruler or a number line on their school desk they can use it and just hop over one number. Some teachers use number lines or rules to add all the numbers but the problem is what happens when there is no ruler available.

For subtracting, just have them start with the lower number and count up using fingers or dash marks to keep track. This will be slow but at least they will be able to subtract.
For older students use the math ladder.

See our Teaching Resources for Math Basic Facts for worksheets, lesson plans, etc.