Teaching 2 digit addition and subtraction without regrouping is fun because kids get to add and subtract "big" numbers. It makes them feel so smart and can be a huge confidence booster for students!
Since there is no regrouping, all students are essentially doing is two addition to 10 problems, or two subtraction within 10 problems, that happen to be next to each other. :)
An awesome trick is to teach them to point out their pointing finger. Place it on top of the 2 numbers in the tens place and simply solve the addition problem in the ones place. For example, in this yellow worksheet, they'd use their finger to cover 1 + 2 so all they see is 8 + 0. How easy is 8 + 0?! Then have them cover 8+0 while they can only see and solve 1 + 2. SO easy!! They'll be amazed at how they added 2 big numbers. :) :) So 18 + 20 is actually just 8+0 and 1+2, which they already know how to do. This is a HUGE confidence builder to introduce it this way!
2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping Using Place Value
I highly recommend using cubes as place value blocks to show them what 2 digit addition and subtraction without regrouping is actually doing.
This will also come waaaay in handy once you DO start regrouping, because they can physically move cubes to regroup! Such an amazing lesson and visual representation of what regrouping is. :)
As you can see in the picture above, have them first look at the 2 numbers they are adding. 23 and 34. So they'd build 23 with cubes, in the form of place value blocks. Then, build 34 with cubes. Each ten is a stack of 10 cubes, as if they were place value blocks. This shows them the 2 numbers they want to put together. Then, they literally put them together by putting the tens with the tens and the ones with the ones. Count it up & they have the answer to the addition problem! :)
You could also use actual place value blocks since they're smaller & the "tens" are already made, but I highly recommend having them build "tens" out of 10 cubes themselves. It's great place value practice AND will be really helpful if you also use cubes for teaching regrouping whereas you can't separate/add to the "tens" blocks when they're actual place value blocks.
For those of you who use my math units, you may notice that's a Level B worksheet! :) All my math units have 3 levels of worksheets for each concept included in the unit so you can differentiate easily. B is where you'd expect a first grader to be. A is extra support. C is for a challenge.
If you have students who need a little bit of support, you can also teach them that they can DRAW place value blocks any time they need support. This is great practice for everyone and a GREAT strategy to teach all of your students for how to check their work, especially if they have to take any end of the year tests!
You can also use this same strategy for subtraction!
Have them build the first number. Here, it's 55 and, as you can see, 55 is built on the side of the worksheet in cubes. I recommend NOT connecting the cubes for ones by the way. Have them show them as "ones" like this, where they are separate entities. Especially for subtraction problems.
After they've built 55, they look at what number is being subtracted. 24. So they would simply remove 4 ones and 2 tens from this in order to get their answer! :) Such an awesome way to show exactly what is happening when they're doing 2 digit subtraction.
Again, GREAT place value practice! If they need more work on place value, 2 digit addition and subtraction will be difficult, even without regrouping, so if that is the case, I recommend doing all of the activities from my big First Grade Place Value Math Unit to really solidify their knowledge of tens and ones. Play the games and do the activities over and over (don't worry, they're so fun!!) until they really get it down.
You can also give them a worksheet that shows what to do. For support if needed, they can draw the tens and ones blocks and cross the ones out that they are subtracting. This is a great way to visually show them what they're doing and makes an awesome math small groups lesson! Again, great place value review and awesome for continuing to build their number sense. I love that this shows them what they're actually doing when subtracting.
Fun Games and Centers for 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction without Regrouping
You can also let them have the support of cubes when doing math centers for 2 digit addition and subtraction!
Let's say they were doing a center game like this where they take a card, solve it, and write the answer on their recording sheet. You could absolutely let them have cubes to help them solve. It really helps build their confidence to be able to "check" their work and "see" that it is correct. Plus, it's so fun to play with cubes! :) Again, I do NOT recommend letting them connect them. Have "tens" be connected ahead of time and are NOT disconnected ever. And the ones are by themselves. Tell them to pretend like the tens are glued if you need to, haha!
I have several sets of these to practice each 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping skill by the way! I recommend putting the regular 2 digit addition in one little box like this. Then, the 2 digit + 1 digit cards in 1 box. The 2 digit - 1 digit in 1 box. Then, the 2 digit subtraction cards where both numbers are 2 digits in 1 box. The multiples of 10 in 1 box. The 10 more and 10 less in 1 box. And so on! This makes SO many different centers that you can pull out and put away super easily!
My favorite thing about that is they will know what to do each time, but it's for a slightly different and new skill! Let's say you use the 10 more and 10 less version of these cards and they do an entire center for that. Well, when you later teach multiples of 10 (30+50) and use the exact same center format (cards look the same, recording sheet looks the same), they'll know exactly what to do and can focus only on learning the brand new skill! :) This is something I constantly talk about for my Phonics No Prep Packs for each phonics sound. Each sound has the SAME activities so, every week, you may be introducing a new sound but your kids already know how to do all of the activities so they can focus only on learning the new phonics skill and not spend time/mental effort figuring out HOW to do it. Love love love that. AND you don't have to give directions. How amazing does that sound?!?!? So, whenever possible, consistent activities are AWESOME. Especially in 1st grade, 2nd grade, and kindergarten!
I also love theme centers! How cute are these little monkeys and their bananas? You match the bananas with the addition problem that matches the sum on the monkey! Then, they write the problems under each monkey on their recording sheet.
As you can kind of see in this picture (on the left), I put a student friendly directions sheet with each center so you can set it out at the center. This allows the center to be more independent and reminds kids what to do. It also tells any adult who walks in your room what the students are working on - if they're coming in to help, for example. There is also a teacher directions version of the directions page for each center. This helps explain how to play the center and sometimes fun tips for more ways to play and how to differentiate when possible!
Keeping up with the zoo animals theme, there is a subtraction version with elephants and peanuts!
For both of these centers, the kids are doing SO. MUCH. MATH. to sort the foods under the animals but probably won't realize it because it's so cute and fun.
Both of these also have the problems in a horizontal way so that makes it a little harder! I think kids should learn how to solve vertical first. They can learn how to line the numbers up to easily solve. THEN, once they feel confident with that, introduce horizontal.
I recommend letting them use a piece of paper to rewrite the horizontal problems as vertical. Teaching them to line the two 2 digit numbers up is SUCH a great skill to teach them! They can use an extra piece of blank paper to convert them.
2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping Mixed Review Practice
I also think it is super important to have a lot of mixed practice for addition and subtraction. That's why there is literally an entire concept inside my 2 digit addition and subtraction math unit for it. It's really important that they look at the symbol, so they know what to do, so I like to provide a lot of worksheets and activities where they have to look to see if they're adding or subtracting.
This would be an easy time to bring out the cubes again and ask them - are you combining the 2 sets of cubes or taking away cubes?
You can also do mixed practice by simply giving them addition pages sometimes and subtraction pages sometimes. It wouldn't be a math post from me without a little cutting and gluing! :)
I genuinely think having to glue answers down makes kids think harder about their answers. It's hard to un-glue paper so they work more thoughtfully, I feel like.
Plus it's fun! I love that they can move around their answers. I recommend teaching them to cut out all the answers first, place them (so if one doesn't make sense, they know to check all of them to figure out which one they did incorrectly), THEN glue. This teaches them so many great skills!
I like to have a page like this for every concept so it's a center your students are used to doing! For example, if you're learning adding and subtracting 2 digit and 1 digit numbers, you'd also do a page like this for that.
It will look familiar to them. Like a page they've already done and were successful with. So a new, "hard" topic doesn't seem so intimidating to them. :)
Another quick tip I have is to print "boring" worksheets on colorful paper! 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping is kind of a bland concept compared to the other super fun ones kids learn in K-2, but it is SO important. And one they need a ton of repetition and practice with in order to master. One super easy way to make it a little more fun is to print the worksheets on color paper!
You could tell them they earn a specific color. For example, if they finish a regular worksheet on white paper, they get to do a COLOR one. Ooooh! They'll be EXCITED to finish worksheets! :) It really is great practice. You could also put these in sheet protectors so you don't waste a lot of color paper. Then, they get to use dry erase markers and will love it even more! There are so many ways to make a worksheet fun. Kids LOVE using dry erase markers on sheet protectors so you could definitely do that. AND then you'd also get to reuse these so you're printing and preparing less!
All of these activities I've shown here for 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping (and so much more) are included in my First Grade Math Unit 13 on TpT!
If you're familiar with my math units, they are PACKED with fun, differentiated worksheets for each concept in 3 levels (A, B, and C) and centers for each concept too! Also cut and paste worksheets AND an assessment at the end of the unit to review all the concepts. I always include 3 versions of the assessment so you can do one before, during, and after. You can also save them for end of the semester/quarter/period/year assessments if you're required to do that for report cards! :)
You can always look at the cover of my math units to see what's included. The First Grade Math Unit 13 (which could also be used in 2nd grade) has the following concepts:
- 2 Digit Addition
- 2 Digit Subtraction
- 2 Digit Mix
- 2 Digit and 1 Digit Addition and Subtraction
- 10 more and 10 less
- Adding and Subtracting Multiples of 10
This one is absolutely packed with 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping Worksheets and Activities - here are just a few of the practice pages:
I highly recommend using worksheets for practice and teaching. You can see the level of any worksheets in the top right corner inside of a star (see the A in the star on the page on top here?) so you can quickly grab what each student/child needs.
If a worksheet is taking them a long time - or they seem frustrated - go down a level. A is easiest, B is where most of your students will be, and C is for a challenge.
If you have students that finish their work quickly who love doing classwork and always ask for more or what's next, having the C level pages for each worksheet that you do is sooo nice to have!
The wonderful thing about having worksheets in 3 levels is you can meet each student where they are at, then go to the next level when they're ready so everyone can get to the challenge level in a way that supports them along the way! :) I usually try to make the challenge level conceptually more challenging, where they have to think a little bit more, rather than simply more math problems, but for something so straightforward like 2 digit addition, sometimes it's simply more problems on the page. Which, again, for your kids who finish their work quickly but enjoy doing work, it's perfect for them!
My goal with differentiating is always for the kids to be practicing the SAME skill, but at THEIR level. The level that challenges them a little, but not too much, not too little. :)
I also try to make the pages look really similar too, so it's not obvious, they simply got a different one. All of these look fun and are 2 different levels, for example!
Anyway! Then do the fun centers and games for review and more practice! I love math games and centers for each concept because they don't realize how much practice they're actually doing. Especially centers you can reuse over and over. You can also always bring them back out later in the year to review them again.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this gave you some fun new ideas for teaching 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping. If you'd like to see another post for how to use these same strategies to teach regrouping, let me know! I'd also love to hear from you on whatever platform you love the most! I am on almost all of them! :)
Again, you can get ALL of these activities that I showed in
First Grade Math Unit 13: 2 Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping
(which you could also use in 2nd grade or in any grade where you're trying to support your students with 2 digit addition and subtraction, including the concepts within that such as 10 more and 10 less, 2 digit and 1 digit addition and subtraction, and multiples of 10)
Definitely click this to follow me on TpT though! You don't want to miss when I post brand new stuff because it's often at a deep discount for being the first to see/get it! :)
I also have FREE math and phonics groups on FB for teaching first grade (K and 2nd grade teachers are welcome too! I think you'd still get a ton of fun ideas!) so join those if you want a lot more tips and also exclusive free stuff for group members! I love chatting with you all in those so we'd love for you to join us! You can also simply follow my FB page! I absolutely love sharing tips to make your teaching life easier, more fun, and more organized. So if you love that too - and are always looking for fun new phonics, math, writing, and classroom management tips - then I'd love to share mine with you!
If you want to "pin" this post to read later, you can pin ANY of the pictures from this post onto your boards! :) I also took a second to make these 2 pins for you so it says what the post is about, if you prefer that! Hopefully they'll help you quickly remember this post!
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I also have this page that has an organized list of my blog posts, so you can use it to quickly find any math, phonics, writing, or classroom management topic you need! :)
I hope that's helpful!! Thank you again for stopping by my blog! I so appreciate you taking the time to read my teaching ideas and I hope you enjoyed them!
