Kindergarten Addition and Subtraction Word Problems Within 5
Read these short stories aloud and let your student act them out.
Teaching notes for parents and teachers
How to teach it
Place the starting counters first, then add or remove the amount in the story. Ask for a spoken answer before a written equation.
Example to work through together
Use the model below as you explain the example. Have your student point to the quantities as you discuss them.
3 + 2 = 5
Start: three counters.
Change: two more join them.
Find: the number of counters there are now.
4 − 1 = 3
Three counters remain. Returning the counter that was given away restores the original four.
Ask your student
What happened first, and what happened next?
If your student needs help
If the student counts only the change, have them count everything left after the action.
Make a practice set
Select the worksheet, answer key, or both. When both are selected, the answer key prints after the questions. Keep it separate if you want your student to work independently.
After your student finishes
Invite the child to explain one choice with objects, pointing, or a drawing. Offer help recording the answer when needed. Choose another activity when the child is ready for a different way to use the same quantities.
Picture activityKindergarten Addition and Subtraction Within 5
Count and combine pictures, or cross out the amount taken away.
6 problems · Answer key included
Picture activityCount and Write Worksheets for Kindergarten
Count picture groups from 1 to 9 and write 0 for an empty group. Touch each object once and record the total.
6 problems · Answer key included
Word problemsKindergarten Word Problems Within 10
Listen, move counters, and draw joining or taking-away stories with amounts up to 10.
4 problems · Answer key included
More about addition · Kindergarten worksheets
Kindergarten selected skill connection: K.OA.A.1; K.OA.A.2; K.OA.A.5 (selected addition and subtraction within 5). See the Common Core standards for this grade. This worksheet does not cover every requirement in the standard.