Grade Levels: K-3

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about adding with regrouping. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Adding with Regrouping topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Adding with Regrouping Teacher Activities

Regroup!
Divide children into small groups and give each group a set of base-ten blocks. If you do not have enough sets, print out base ten block drawings from the Internet and cut them apart for students. Then, have one student in each group show a large number using only ones cubes. Other group members can discuss how to regroup the ones. Remind students that when they regroup, they gather ten ones to make one group of ten. Have students trade in 10 cubes for a rod. Then have one person in each group write the number represented by the base-ten blocks. Have students swap roles and regroup different numbers.

Addition Stories
Have students make up their own word problems or addition story problems. Encourage them to use amounts that require addition with regrouping. You may wish to model a few examples for the class before having students write and illustrate their own word problems.You may also allow them to use manipulatives such as base-ten blocks or counters to solve. Afterwards, have students swap their work with a classmate to check over each other’s work. Collect each child’s paper and staple them together into a class book. Title the book “Our Addition Stories” and keep it in the class library for students to read throughout the year.

Adding with Regrouping Family Activities

Think Out Loud
Present a number sentence, such as 72 + 9. Then have your child solve the number sentence using pencil and paper. Have your child explain how he or she is solving the number sentence out loud. What is done first? What happens when you carry the one over to the tens place? Guide your child through the process, addressing any questions or misunderstandings, and then try the exercise again with other number sentences. You may want to also have your child write and draw about the steps in an addition with regrouping problem.

Pennies and Dimes
Give your child a large collection of pennies and have him or her trade in groups of ten for dimes. Then count the coins. How much money is there? Remind your child to count the dimes first with skip-counting by tens, and then count on with the pennies. Repeat the activity with different numbers of pennies. Then have your child give you a collection of pennies to regroup. You may want to make a mistake when counting your coins and see if your child can correct you.