Methods of Addition - Lesson 1: The Expanded Method

With lesson plans, slides, activity ideas, differentiated worksheets and many other resources, these Year 4 'Methods of Addition' lessons provide everything you need to turn your class into addition whizz kids!

This lesson starts by teaching children how to round three-digit numbers to the nearest hundred to help them find approximate answers before recapping how to use the expanded method to solve addition calculations, using their approximations to check for accuracy. The main activities provides opportunities for children to practise this whilst the alternative activity has a palindromic number challenge to tackle!

The slides for this lesson start by showing children the same calculation solved using the expanded method and standard vertical method, asking them to identify what is similar and different about the two. It then shows clear steps for how to use vertical column addition, giving children opportunities to practise as a class before tackling problems independently.

Starting by exploring the adjustment method to solve calculations mentally or with informal jottings, your class will then move on to solve a variety of addition calculations, choosing a formal, informal or mental method to solve the problem, depending on the calculation. Children are encouraged to solve problems mentally wherever possible and use their understanding to choose the most efficient method.

This lesson challenges your class to solve increasingly difficult addition questions, moving into adding four-digit numbers and three three-digit numbers if appropriate. Children will choose a mental, informal or formal method to solve a problem, based on the calculation, and are encouraged to use mental methods wherever possible.

Children will consolidate their learning in this final lesson and recap what they have learnt about addition methods. The slides have a variety of word problems to solve, challenging children to choose an appropriate method and check their answers using approximations. The main activity has some fun addition walls to complete and the alternative activity will have them generating their own problems to tackle using mental, informal or formal methods.