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Year 1

Explain that addition is commutative

I can explain that addition is commutative.

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New
New
Year 1

Explain that addition is commutative

I can explain that addition is commutative.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When the order of the addends is changed, the sum remains the same.
  2. Addition is commutative because the addends can be combined in any order.
  3. An equation can be written to show that when the order of the addends is changed, they remain equal.

Common misconception

Children may not recognise the same equation when the order of the addends is swapped. They may also think of the equal sign as meaning' the answer is' rather than showing equivalence.

Demonstrate writing equation in different order to that seen in picture or present as mistake to discuss. Refer to equals sign as ‘is equals to’ rather than ‘makes’ or ‘is’ and vary its position in equations to draw attention to its meaning.

Keywords

  • Addend - Any of the numbers that are added together.

  • Sum - The result of adding two or more numbers.

  • Commutative - Addition is commutative because if order of the addends are change, the sum remains the same.

Vary the position of equals sign between contexts, but not within the same context as this could draw attention away from the change in order of addends. Once children are confident, extend work to include measures where quantities are represented by numerals rather than individual objects to count.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Sam uses these counters to find the sum in an equation. Which number will be the sum?
An image in a quiz
5
4
Correct answer: 9
Q2.
Which numeral represents the amount added in the picture?
An image in a quiz
6
8
Correct answer: 2
Q3.
Write an equation to represent the picture.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 3+1=4, 1+3=4, 4=3+1, 4=1+3
Q4.
Which picture could represent this equation? 6 = 2 + 4
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q5.
This missing number equation represents the picture shown. 3 + ___ = 5 Which number is the missing addend?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: 2
3
5
Q6.
Sam has 3 pens and Jacob has 4 pencils. When they put them together, they have a whole group of 7 objects. Which expression could represent the addends?
7 - 4
Correct answer: 3 + 4
Correct answer: 4 + 3

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Jacob describes this picture as 2 apples and 5 oranges. 7 pieces of fruit altogether. He writes 2 + 5 = 7. What equation would represent the story if the parts had been added in a different order?
An image in a quiz
7 - 2 = 5
Correct answer: 5 + 2 = 7
7 + 2 = 5
Q2.
Which Hungarian tens frame shows 4 + 2 = 2 + 4?
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Match the equations that show that the addends order can be changed but the sum will remain the same.
Correct Answer:8 + 1 = 9,1 + 8 = 9

1 + 8 = 9

Correct Answer:4 + 0 = 4,0 + 4 = 4

0 + 4 = 4

Correct Answer:7 + 2 = 9,2 + 7 = 9

2 + 7 = 9

Q4.
What is the missing number from this equation to make it correct?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 7
Q5.
Which of these equations is correct?
Correct answer: 6 + 2 = 2 + 6
4 + 3 = 4 + 4
2 + 2 = 3 + 2
Q6.
Alex says that 5 can be used to fill all the gaps in the equations. Tick the ones where 5 is the missing number.
3 + 2 = ___ + 3
Correct answer: 2 + ___ = 5 + 2
Correct answer: ___ + 3 = 3 + 5
4 + 1 = ___ + 4