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Year 2

Create addition and subtraction problems

I can create problems involving the addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers.

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New
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Year 2

Create addition and subtraction problems

I can create problems involving the addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When creating problems, we must decide whether we want to create an addition or a subtraction problem.
  2. Addition problems can involve combining two parts to make the whole.
  3. Addition problems can also involve increasing one part by the other part to reach the whole.
  4. Subtraction problems can involve partitioning one part from the whole to find the remaining part.
  5. Subtraction problems can also involve decreasing the whole by one part to find the remaining part.

Keywords

  • Addition - Addition involves finding the total, or sum, by combining two or more numbers.

  • Subtraction - Subtraction involves taking one number away from another.

  • Bridge 10 - An addition or subtraction strategy where numbers are partitioned to reach the previous or next multiple of 10, so bonds to 10 can be used to calculate more efficiently.

Common misconception

Children can have difficulty creating problems because they cannot process the amount of information needed and organise their thinking in the way necessary to know how to start.

Give criteria, such as the context, the numbers involved, an equation to represent, or a given structure of addition or subtraction to help focus and structure their thoughts.


To help you plan your year 2 maths lesson on: Create addition and subtraction problems, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When creating problems, understanding of the structure of addition and subtraction can be deepened by considering how the problem could be 'undone' using the inverse and relating this to the chosen context of the original problem.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
First, Izzy had 76 points. Then, she bought this t-shirt. How many points will she have left now? Which equation would solve this problem?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: 76 − 47 = ?
76 + 47 = ?
Q2.
First, Andeep bought a t-shirt. Then, he bought a pair of glasses. How many points has he spent?
An image in a quiz
51 points
Correct answer: 67 points
56 points
Q3.
Match the equations that will have the same value.
Correct Answer:74 − 20 − 19 = ?,74 − 19 − 20 = ?
tick

74 − 19 − 20 = ?

Correct Answer:84 − 31 − 40 = ?,84 − 40 − 31 = ?
tick

84 − 40 − 31 = ?

Correct Answer:69 − 33 − 20 = ?,69 − 20 − 33 = ?
tick

69 − 20 − 33 = ?

Q4.
Which number line represents the same equation as the number line shown?
An image in a quiz
A
Correct answer: B
C
Q5.
First, Izzy bought a t-shirt. Then, she bought a pair of shoes. Finally, she bought a pair of glasses. How many points does she spend altogether? 35 + 20 + 32 = ? Izzy spent points.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 87
Q6.
Andeep had 98 points. He bought these items. How much did the glasses cost? 98 − 30 − 15 = The glasses cost points.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 53

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following describes the type of problem shown? There are 45 apples on one tree and 34 apples on another tree. How many apples are there altogether?
Addition, increasing one part by the other part to make the whole.
Correct answer: Addition, combining the parts to make the whole.
Subtraction, decreasing the whole by one part to reach the remaining part.
Subtraction, partitioning one part from the whole to find the remaining part.
Q2.
Which of the following describes the type of problem shown? There are 45 apples on the tree and 26 fall off. How many apples are left on the tree?
Addition, increasing one part by the other part to make the whole.
Addition, combining the parts to make the whole.
Correct answer: Subtraction, decreasing the whole by one part to reach the remaining part.
Subtraction, partitioning one part from the whole to find the remaining part.
Q3.
Which equation would you use to solve this problem? There were 52 children on the school trip. 35 of them were in the museum and the rest were having lunch. How many were having lunch?
52 + 35 = 87
Correct answer: 52 − 35 = 17
52 − 17 = 35
35 + 52 = 87
Q4.
Which equations would you use to solve this problem? The children are going home from the school trip. 28 got on the first bus and 24 on the second bus. How many children got on the buses altogether?
Correct answer: 28 + 24 = 52
52 − 28 = 24
Correct answer: 24 + 28 = 52
52 − 24 = 28
Q5.
Write an equation to solve this problem. On Monday, I picked 35 apples from a tree. Then, on Tuesday, I picked 27 more apples. How many apples have I picked now?
Correct Answer: 35 + 27 = 62, 27 + 35 = 62
Q6.
Write an equation to solve this problem. I picked 56 apples from a tree. 27 of them were green and the rest were red. How many apples were red?
Correct Answer: 56 − 27 = 29