Teaching 5 year old addition / subtraction

[Backinthetallgrass]

Hi, my son is really struggling with basic addition / subtraction. Even adding 1 on. The only way he 'gets' it is if I use chocolate buttons or something similar and say if I give you '#' more how many would you have? He can't seem to relate that to actual sums though or even through counting fingers.

Anyone got any other fun or good ideas I can try to get it to sink in?

Keep doing it with the buttons etc and whilst using them also show the corresponding number of fingers and the written number. So the three things together.
Linking a number of items to its written form is a precursor to adding so make sure that’s secure first. So get him to count lots of things and have the numbers ready so he can match the number of things to the correct numeral. Show a number and get him to hold up that many fingers. Get those links between how many and written number strong first.

Board games, orchard toys have some lovely ones. My Ds loved Hi ho cherry o & ladybug game which we ordered from Amazon US.

Using choco buttons are great. You can do subtraction too by giving him 5, let him eat one, how many left, etc. Also use any object in daily life for getting familiar with numbers. How many cars parked, one more came, one has gone, how many chimneys you see while walking. Pointing at house numbers. Counting stairs. My ds used to love counting birds nest while driving when he was younger.

My daughter found it much easier when she started using a number line. She liked doing the skips forward and jumps back and then it just clicked.

This is great thanks for all the tips!

Numicon and number lines. E.g 7+3. Start on number 7, count 3 more on the number line gets you to 10.

Using "concrete" apparatus is the best way to begin so chocolate buttons are the way to go.

We did it with everything. Small play doh balls. Numicon. Orchard toys games. Number line. Using your fingers.
Also reiterating that say 2+3 is the same as 3+2. Part of this is also regular and constant practice.

Don't add more than one to start with. Use a number line 0-10 and show him how it jumps towards ten for one more and towards 0 for one less.
Can he count on from any random number say 3-8, 2-7 etc?
Can he count back from any random number 5-1, 9-4 etc? Use a dice to play games then add a second dice so he needs to add the two for simple games like snakes and ladders.
Can he fill in missing numbers if you count can he carry on? Then count and ask for one more. Don't do one less at the same time as it confuses some children. When he has mastered that you can progress to two. By Year 2 they should know number bonds to 10 then show it written and connect to 20.
Some children just take longer to click than others. When he has fruit cut it into halves and quarters and banana ask if I give you one more piece how many will you have then. Eat one.

Play dough balls are a very satisfying way to teach subtraction. Make the number of balls and splat the number to subtract count the whole balls remaining

Mrz, that sound so fun! Sure to engage kids. Great idea.

My ds was shown numberblocks at school there's a few episodes on YouTube explaining one more and one less. If I say subtract or take away he's confused but if I say one more one less he gets it.

Make numbers and counting a part of everyday life. It's boring (for you) but it works. Just talk out loud a lot. Supermarkets are good for this.