Addition Word Problems Up to 20

An addition word problem is a short story that describes two (or more) groups of things being put together. Instead of seeing a number sentence like \( 8 + 6 \), you see a sentence such as "Sam has 8 stickers. His friend gives him 6 more. How many stickers does Sam have now?" The job is to read the story, figure out which numbers matter, and turn it into an equation with a sum no greater than 20.

These problems build on skills from addition facts up to 20, but they add an extra step: understanding the situation before doing the math. Once the numbers are pulled out of the sentence, solving works the same way as any other sum within 20.

Use the same four steps for almost every addition word problem up to 20:

1. Read the problem carefully and picture what is happening.

2. Find the two numbers being combined and any clue words such as "in all," "altogether," "total," or "combined." These words usually signal addition.

3. Write a number sentence, for example \( 8 + 6 = ? \).

4. Solve the sum and check that the answer makes sense with the story.

Drawing a quick picture, tally marks, or a simple bar model can make the numbers easier to see, especially while the numbers are still new. A bar model shows each amount as a bar, then joins them into one longer bar for the total.

Problem: There are 9 ducks swimming in a pond. 7 more ducks join them. How many ducks are in the pond now?

Step 1: The numbers are 9 and 7. The word "more" tells us ducks are being added.

Step 2: Write the number sentence \( 9 + 7 = ? \).

Step 3: Solve. Counting on from 9 by 7, or breaking 7 into 1 + 6 to make 10 first, gives \( 9 + 7 = 16 \).

Step 4: Check the answer, 16 ducks is a reasonable total and stays within 20.

If counting on feels tricky, practicing with a number line to add up to 20 gives a visual way to jump forward by the second number.

Problem: A basket has 4 red apples, 3 green apples, and 5 yellow apples. How many apples are in the basket altogether?

Step 1: The word "altogether" signals addition, and there are three groups this time.

Step 2: Write the number sentence \( 4 + 3 + 5 = ? \).

Step 3: Add in any order. \( 4 + 3 = 7 \), then \( 7 + 5 = 12 \).

Step 4: The basket has 12 apples altogether, which fits within the up-to-20 range.

Problems with three numbers happen often once totals get larger, so it helps to also review adding with 3 numbers up to 20 for extra practice combining more than two groups.

Watch out for these slips when solving addition word problems up to 20:

Adding the wrong numbers because extra details in the story were mistaken for part of the sum.

Forgetting to include every group when a problem has three or more amounts.

Writing an answer above 20, which is a sign the numbers were misread or added incorrectly.

Skipping the picture or model step, which often leads to guessing instead of solving.

Before jumping into word problems, make sure basic sums up to 20 feel comfortable. Reviewing counting strategies, such as those in using counting to add digits up to 20, makes it much faster to turn a story into a solved equation.

Related lessons

• Math 1