Standard written form for addition

1
Standard written form for addition
I am learning a standard method of doing an
addition problem on paper when the numbers are
too difficult to find the answer mentally.
Numbers are set out directly below each
other. e.g. 347
In your head
265
2
There are 267 students in the junior school and
148 students in the senior school. How many
students are there in total?
267 148 ?
Step 1 For our first example lets expand each
number and write them underneath each other.
10
100
200 60 7
Step 2 Add the ones together.
7 8 15. Fifteen is made up of a ten and a
five. Write the 5 in the ones column and carry
the 10 to the tens column.
100 40 8


5
10
400

Step 3 Add the tens together.
10 60 40 110. 110 is made up of one hundred
and one ten. Write the 10 in the tens column and
carry the 100 to the hundreds column.
Step 4 Add the hundreds together.
Step 5 Add the bottom line together to get your
answer.
100 200 100 400
400 10 5 415
3
Room 7 made 216 paper cranes at the start of the
week and another 138 paper cranes at the end of
the week. How many paper cranes have they made?
216 138 ?
Step 1 Now lets try the same algorithm without
expanding the number.
Step 2 Add the ones together.
1
216
6 8 14. Put the 4 in the ones column and
carry the ten to the tens column. We will record
this as a 1 above the tens column (e.g. it is one
ten).
138

4
5
3
Step 3 Add the tens together.
1 (ten) 1 (ten) 3 (tens) 5 (tens)
Record 5 tens in the tens column.
Step 4 Add the hundreds together.
2 (hundreds) 1 (hundred) 3 (hundreds)
You have now worked out the answer. 354
4
Now try these questions on your own. You will
need to use pen and paper to record your
algorithm.
Click again when you have completed each question
and the answer will be displayed.

1. 672 319 ?
2. 438 247 ?
3. 586 348 ?
4. 261 179 ?
5. 854 128 ?

991
685
934
440
982
Need some more practise? Try Pg59 of Teacher
Tools Addition and Subtraction Book Numeracy
resources