Skip to content
QQuanta KidsBy IIT & ISB Alumni
← Back to Addition & Subtraction to 20

Concept 1 of 6

Adding Within 20: Count On

1

Today's big idea

To add, start at the bigger number and count on.

8 + 5: hold 8, then hop on 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

2

How it works

👀 What's going on?

You have 8 stickers and get 5 more. How many now?

💡 Here's the trick

8 + 5: count on from 8+1+1+1+1+18910111213Five hops on: 8 + 5 = 13

To add, start at the bigger number and count on. Start at 8 and count 5 more.

8 + 5: hold 8, then count 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. You land on 13.

✍️ Try it

Add 6 + 4. Start at 6 and count on 4: 7, 8, 9, 10.

⚠️ Watch out

Always start from the bigger number, so there is less to count.

3

Watch me solve one

Quanta solves it

“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”

THE PROBLEM

“What is 9 + 3?”

  1. 1

    Start at the bigger number

    9 is bigger than 3, so hold 9. ✋

  2. 2

    Count on three

    9 → 1011129101112

  3. 3

    Answer ✓

    9 + 3 = 12

Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇

4

See it in action

⚡ Time to play!

Start at 8 (the bigger number) and tap to count on 5.

8 + 5

8

counted 0 of 5

5

Quick check

✅ VERIFICATION

What is 7 + 6?

⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.

Keep going!

Up next: Doubles & Near-Doubles

A near-double is one more than a double.

Concept 2 of 6