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Adding One Up to 5

This kindergarten lesson teaches adding one up to 5 through counting on, objects, and pictures. Children learn that adding one to a number always lands on the very next number, building a strong foundation for early addition skills and number sense.

What Does Adding One Mean?

Adding one up to 5 is one of the very first addition skills a child learns. It simply means starting with a small group of objects or a number, and putting one more with it. Since we are working with numbers up to 5, every answer will be a number from 1 through 5.

Before adding one, it helps to already be comfortable with counting objects using numbers up to 3, since adding is really just counting a little further.

Counting On: The Key Strategy

The easiest way to add one is called "counting on." Instead of counting a whole group from the beginning, a child starts at the number they already have and says the very next number.

For example, if there are 3 blocks and one more block is added, a child does not need to recount all the blocks from 1. They can simply say "3" and then count on one more: "4." So \( 3 + 1 = 4 \).

Seeing It With Objects and Pictures

Counters, fingers, and simple drawings make adding one easier to understand because children can see the amount growing by exactly one object.

Three circles plus one more circle makes four circles in total.

Notice that the new group always has exactly one more object than the group we started with. This is the same idea used when children are matching objects with numbers up to 3, since each picture matches a specific total.

The Pattern When Adding One

Because adding one always moves forward exactly one step in the counting sequence, there is a simple pattern to notice:

\( 1 + 1 = 2 \)
\( 2 + 1 = 3 \)
\( 3 + 1 = 4 \)
\( 4 + 1 = 5 \)

Each answer is simply the next number after the first one. Once a child sees this pattern, they can often answer "add one" questions without counting objects at all, just by remembering what number comes next.

Worked Example

Suppose there are 2 apples on a table, and someone places 1 more apple next to them. How many apples are there now?

Start with the number already known, 2, and count on one more: "2, then 3." So \( 2 + 1 = 3 \). There are 3 apples in total.

Practicing With Numbers Up to 5

Worksheets that ask children to add 1 usually show a small group of pictures with one extra picture added, then ask for the total. The steps are always the same: count the starting group, count on one more, and write the total number.

Practicing this skill alongside its opposite, taking away one up to 5, helps children understand that numbers can move both forward and backward by one, which builds a much stronger sense of how numbers work together.

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Kindergarten