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Finding the Correct Addition Statement

This kindergarten topic teaches children how to look at a picture or a set of objects, count each group, and pick the addition statement that correctly describes what is shown, building number sense and preparing students for writing their own addition sentences.

What does it mean to find the correct addition statement?

When we look at a picture that shows two groups of objects being put together, we can describe it with an addition statement, something like \( 2 + 3 = 5 \). Finding the correct addition statement means looking carefully at a picture or a set of objects, counting each group, and then picking the number sentence out of a few choices that actually matches what the picture shows.

This skill builds directly on counting and on combining together with objects up to 5. Before a child can pick the right addition statement, they need to be comfortable counting small groups and understanding what happens when two groups are joined into one.

Steps for finding the correct addition statement

There is a simple three-step routine that works every time:

Count the first group. Look at the first set of objects or dots in the picture and count them out loud.
Count the second group. Do the same for the second set of objects being added.
Match the total. Add the two numbers together, and look for the addition statement where the first number, the second number, and the total all match what you counted.

Any statement with a wrong first number, wrong second number, or wrong total should be crossed out, even if it "looks close."

A worked example

Suppose a picture shows 2 blue circles next to 3 red circles, all inside one big group. A child is given three addition statements and must pick the one that matches:

Only \( 2 + 3 = 5 \) matches the two counted groups and the correct total.

The second choice, \( 3 + 4 = 7 \), uses numbers that do not appear in the picture at all. The third choice, \( 1 + 3 = 4 \), has a wrong first number and a wrong total. Only \( 2 + 3 = 5 \) counts both groups correctly and adds them to the right total, so it is the correct addition statement.

Watch out for order

Sometimes two different-looking statements can both be correct for the same picture. If a picture shows 2 objects and 3 objects together, both \( 2 + 3 = 5 \) and \( 3 + 2 = 5 \) describe it correctly, since the order the groups are counted in does not change the total. What matters is that the same two numbers and the same total appear, not which group gets counted first.

Where this fits with other addition skills

Finding the correct addition statement sits between counting objects and creating addition sentences on your own. Once a child can reliably pick out the matching statement from a set of choices, the next steps are usually writing an addition statement up to 5 from scratch and complete the addition statement up to 5, where a missing number has to be filled in. If a picture instead shows a group being split apart, that is covered separately in lessons on separating parts with objects.

Tips for practicing at home

Use everyday objects, blocks, buttons, or crayons, and physically make two small groups before joining them.
Say the addition statement out loud as you point to each group: "two, and three more, makes five."
When given several statements to choose from, cover up the answer choices first and ask the child to say the addition sentence themselves before checking which choice matches.
Practice with numbers only up to 5 at first, since keeping totals small makes counting and checking much easier.

Related lessons

Kindergarten