Step-by-step Maths Level 1: What + and = mean
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 1 adding within 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
What + and = mean
The plus sign (+) means put together.
The equals sign (=) means the same as. The answer is the same on both sides.
Key ideas
- + means put together.
- = means the same as.
- The answer comes after the equals sign.
Method. Put the two groups together.
- Count group A. Two stars.2
- Count group B. Four stars.4
- Put them together. Plus means put together.2 + 4 = 6
Check. Count all six stars one at a time. It matches.
Watch out. Count each group, then put the totals together.
Method. Put Ava and Ben’s balls together.
- Find Ava’s balls. Ava has one.1
- Find Ben’s balls. Ben has three.3
- Put them together. Plus means put together.1 + 3 = 4 balls
Check. Count the four balls one at a time.
Watch out. The plus sign means put together, so add the two groups.
Method. Two groups of two make four.
- Draw group A. Two things.2
- Draw group B. Two things.2
- Put them together and check. The total is the same as four.2 + 2 = 4
Check. Count all four things. The total is the same as 4.
Watch out. The equals sign shows that both sides are the same.
Watch out
Watch out. The equals sign does not mean “the answer comes next”. It means both sides are the same.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use two cups with counters. Pour them into one cup, then ask: “How many altogether?”
Exercise 6A What + and = mean
Non-calculatorMethod. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 5
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 2
- Put them together. Plus means put together.5 + 2 = 7
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.7
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 7. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 2
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 4
- Put them together. Plus means put together.2 + 4 = 6
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.6
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 6. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 2
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 3
- Put them together. Plus means put together.2 + 3 = 5
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.5
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 5. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 2
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 2 = 5
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.5
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 5. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 5
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 5
- Put them together. Plus means put together.5 + 5 = 10
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.10
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 10. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 5
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 3
- Put them together. Plus means put together.5 + 3 = 8
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.8
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 8. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 4
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 3
- Put them together. Plus means put together.4 + 3 = 7
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.7
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 7. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 5
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 4
- Put them together. Plus means put together.5 + 4 = 9
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.9
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 9. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 5
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 5 = 8
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.8
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 8. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 5
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 5 = 8
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.8
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 8. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 4
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 4 = 7
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.7
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 7. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 3
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 3 = 6
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.6
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 6. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 4
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 2
- Put them together. Plus means put together.4 + 2 = 6
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.6
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 6. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 5
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 5 = 8
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.8
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 8. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.A = 3
- Count group B. Touch each one once.B = 2
- Put them together. Plus means put together.3 + 2 = 5
- Write the answer. Equals means the same as the total.5
Check. Count all of them from one: you also get 5. ✓
Watch out. Count group A first, then add group B to the total.
Method. Put the two groups together and count all of them.
- Count group A. Ava has these.3
- Count group B. Ben has these.4
- Put them together. The plus sign means put together.3 + 4 = 7
- Write the answer. Accept any answer that says the groups are put together.The total is 7.
Check. Count all 7 cubes one at a time. ✓
Watch out. The plus sign means put together, and the equals sign means the same as.