Addition with Things That Fly — Kindergarten

Here addition mixes something to count with something to read. One addend is a little set of kites, planes and a balloon the child counts for themselves; the other is a numeral already written down; the box after the equals sign is where the total goes. Counting the flying things and then carrying on past the written number to reach the answer is exactly how five- and six-year-olds start to trust that a numeral stands for an amount they could have counted out themselves.

Adding a group you can count to a number you can only read is a real milestone for a five-year-old. It is where counting-on begins — starting from the written number and carrying on through the pictured flying things — and where a child first feels that a numeral is just a quick way of writing an amount they could have laid out as objects.

Children who like things that fly settle into this quickly, and it suits a calm independent task or a counting game on the board. When the numbers feel easy, count a fresh group in addition with tools, or try addition with vehicles. You can also browse every addition worksheet or the whole flying things collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.