Addition with Insects and Bugs — Kindergarten

Addition starts as a counting story, and that is just what each row tells: here are some ants, bees and a ladybug, here are some more, how many altogether? The child counts the first group, counts on through the second, and writes the total in the empty box. With the amounts kept small and every one of the bugs shown as a picture, the meaning of the plus sign — two groups becoming one — is something a kindergartner can see, not only be told.

Sums stay small, within ten, so the answer is always reachable by counting the pictures rather than recalling a fact a five-year-old has not met yet. That keeps the focus on what addition means — putting two groups of bugs together into one total — instead of racing for speed before the idea is secure.

Children who enjoy insects and bugs take to this one quickly, and it works just as well as a quiet morning task or a count-along on the board. When the set feels easy, count a different collection in addition with kitchen tools, or try addition with post office. You can also browse every addition worksheet or the whole bugs collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.