Addition and Subtraction Centers

Stage A Addition & Subtraction Centers: These children are just beginning to understand the concepts of putting small collections together, or taking a small amount from a collection. They are not yet successful in finding sums or differences. 

Next Steps:
- Successfully put two small collections together and find the sum
- Find the difference after taking a small amount from a collection

Possible Centers:

Towers of Five

Make Five on the Five Frame (v. 1)

Addition Bag

Show One Less

For more Centers aligned with stage A see this document.

Stage B Addition & Subtraction Centers: These children can successfully put two small collections together and find the sum. They can also find the difference after taking a small amount from a collection. They need to fully model, and count from one by ones to find their answers.

Next Steps:
- Begin to use ‘short-cuts’ to add two small collections, or to take a small amount from a collection (e.g. count on to find a sum, or count back, count down to, or count up from to find a difference)

Possible Centers:

Fast Five

Make Five

Hide the Cubes

Domino Addition

Count on One (v. 1)

Google Slides:

Fast Five

Plus One

Minus One

For more Centers aligned with stage B see this document.

Stage C Addition & Subtraction Centers: These children are beginning to use short-cuts to add two small collections, or to take a small amount from a collection. They only need part of a model, and either count on to find a sum, or count back, count down to, or count up from to find a difference.

Next Steps:
- Begin to use 'simpler' thinking strategies to add and subtract (adding one or zero, using doubles, turning around the addends, sums to ten, or adding ten).

Possible Centers:

Count on One (ver. 2)

Find Ten

Towers of Ten

Make Ten on the Ten Frame

Make Ten

Sum Search

Four in a Row Subtraction

Turn Around Dominoes

Doubles Path (ver. 1)

Ten More

Google Slides:

Ten More

Sum Search

For more Centers aligned with stage C see this document.

Stage D Addition & Subtraction Centers: These children are able to add and subtract small amounts using 'simpler' thinking strategies (adding one or zero, using doubles, ‘turning around’ the addends, sums to ten, adding ten). They are able to mentally add and subtract small numbers without making a model.

Next Steps:
- Use later thinking strategies (fact families, extending to larger numbers, near doubles, make to ten, adding nine).

Possible Centers:

Doubles Plus Two (ver. 1)

Near Doubles Path (ver. 1)

Subtract From Ten

True or False

Find the Missing Number

Four in a Row Subtraction

3x3 Magic Square

Google Slides:

Near Doubles Path

Race Around -10

For more Centers aligned with stage D see this document.

Stage E Addition & Subtraction Centers: These children are able to extend their thinking strategies to include larger numbers, and more difficult calculations with small numbers. They add and subtract mentally, using thinking strategies such as fact families, ‘near doubles’, build to ten, and adding nine.

Possible Centers:

Lucky Six

Add 10 and 100

Make 100

Add To: Result Unknown (within 100)

Take From: Result Unknown (within 100)

Four in a Line with Near Doubles

Make a Ten Path (ver. 2)

Subtract 10 on a Number Line

Add Ten on a Number Line

3-Digit Addition on an Open Number Line (ver. 1)

4x4 Magic Square

5x5 Magic Square

Google Slides:

Magic Squares 1-3

Make 100

For more Centers aligned with stage E see this document.