Activities for Families

We’ll use 4 + 2 to demonstrate two methods for this.

Method 1

Use this method if both numbers are 5 or less. Put up 4 fingers on one hand and 2 fingers on the other. Bring the two hands together – Tada! Your child sees that 4 and 2 brought together becomes 6.

Method 2

Use “counting on” from one of the numbers to reach any sum of up to 10.

Example

To add 4 and 2, put up 4 fingers on one hand, and count aloud from 0 to 2. For each spoken number after 0, put up one more finger. When 2 is reached, there should be 6 fingers raised.

This method allows addition of numbers bigger than 5. Your child will come to realize that it’s easier to start with the larger number of fingers raised and count on using the smaller number.