Adding Numbers to 5

🎯 What You'll Learn

You will practise adding numbers where the answer is 5 or less. These are the first addition facts to memorise.

🏪 Market Story

Bola is helping sort fruit at her mother's market stall. She puts 2 bananas next to 1 banana. "That's 3 bananas," she says. Then she puts 2 oranges next to 2 oranges. "That's 4 oranges!" She is getting good at adding small numbers.

📝 Let's Learn

Here are all the ways to make numbers up to 5 by adding:

• 1 + 1 = 2
• 1 + 2 = 3 and 2 + 1 = 3
• 1 + 3 = 4 and 2 + 2 = 4 and 3 + 1 = 4
• 1 + 4 = 5 and 2 + 3 = 5 and 3 + 2 = 5 and 4 + 1 = 5

Notice: 2 + 3 and 3 + 2 both equal 5. The order doesn't matter in addition! This is called the commutative property.

Example 1: Tunde has 1 biscuit and gets 2 more: 1 + 2 = 3.

Example 2: Amina has 2 sweets and Chidi has 2 sweets. Together: 2 + 2 = 4.

Example 3: Emeka scores 3 goals on Monday and 2 on Tuesday: 3 + 2 = 5.

✏️ Practice Questions

1. What is 1 + 4?
2. What is 2 + 2?
3. Funke has 3 crayons and finds 1 more on the floor. How many crayons does she have?

Click to see answers

1. 1 + 4 = 5.
2. 2 + 2 = 4.
3. 3 + 1 = 4 crayons.

💡 Remember

Learning to add up to 5 is your first step. These small sums will become automatic with practice. Use your fingers if you need help!