Adding to 10 Worksheet: Free KS1 Maths Printable

What this worksheet teaches

This worksheet supports the very first stage of formal addition: combining two groups to find a total. Children count the ducks on the water, then the ducks on the bank, and finally count them all together to reach 8. This ‘count-all’ strategy is the natural starting point for five- and six-year-olds and lays the groundwork for ‘counting on’, where a child holds the first number in their head and counts up from it. Because both groups are the same size, the picture also shows a double (4 + 4), and doubles are some of the first addition facts children learn to recall without counting.

How to use it at home or in the classroom

Begin by talking about the picture before any writing happens. Ask the child to point to and count the ducks on the water, then the ducks on the bank, touching each one as they count. The ducks on the bank overlap a little, so a light tick on each one helps avoid counting the same duck twice. Encourage them to say the two numbers aloud, then count every duck to find the total. Once they have written the answer, let them colour the scene and revisit the numbers (‘How many ducks did you colour altogether?’). For children who find it tricky, real objects such as counters, buttons or pasta shapes laid into two groups make the same idea concrete and can be done alongside the sheet.

Linking the picture to written number sentences

Once a child is confident counting the two groups, you can introduce the matching written statement: ‘4 + 4 = 8’. The National Curriculum expects Year 1 children to read, write and interpret statements involving the addition (+) and equals (=) signs, so it helps to model this alongside the picture. Saying the sentence aloud — ‘four add four equals eight’ — and pointing to each part connects the spoken words, the symbols and the ducks. There is no need to rush this; the picture and the total come first, and the formal sum is the bridge to the next step.

Where addition to 10 leads next

Mastering totals within 10 is the foundation for number bonds, addition within 20, and eventually mental and column methods in Key Stage 2. Children who are secure with combining small groups find later work with missing numbers (such as ‘5 + ? = 9’) and subtraction much easier, because they already understand how parts make a whole. Practising little and often — a few minutes of counting games, this worksheet, or everyday counting at mealtimes — tends to build confidence more effectively than long sessions.

Frequently asked questions