Kindergarten Addition in Words Worksheet: Match Each Phrase to Its Sum

Listen to children at play and you hear math in words long before symbols: two for you, two for me. This kindergarten addition in words worksheet builds a bridge from that talk to the plus sign. Two gray panels each hold four phrases, like 6 plus 2 makes 8 or four plus two makes six. On the right, colored labels show sums such as 3 + 7 = 10. The child draws a line from each phrase to its match. Some phrases spell the numbers out, so reading matters too. The PDF has two pages: the worksheet and its answer key.

Why words come before the plus sign

Children say "and" long before they write a plus sign, but this page treats that language as real math. Each phrase is a full addition said in words, and each colored label is the same idea written in symbols.

As a result, matching them builds math vocabulary: plus, and, makes, are. It also shows that a spoken phrase and a written sum can mean the same thing, and that link turns a symbol into an idea.

The page mixes digits and number words on purpose. So a child who only spots digits must slow down and read eight or four. Reading and math, together.

At the table: the lines that cross

The task is to draw lines to match each phrase with its sum. Read each phrase together, slowly, with a finger under the words. Next, ask, "Which colored sum says the same thing?"

In the top panel, the first phrase and the first label do not match, so the lines must cross. Some children expect each phrase to sit next to its partner and draw straight across. Instead of correcting, say, "Read the sum you chose out loud. Does it say six plus two?" Hearing it often settles it.

The phrase 0 and 3 are 3 can puzzle a child who thinks zero means nothing to do. Point to the zero and ask what it adds, then let your child draw the line.

After the page: say it, then write it

Words and symbols grow together at home. When you serve snacks, say a full sentence out loud: "Two grapes and three grapes make five grapes." Next, write the sum on a scrap of paper and let your child read it back.

Also, the picture book Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3, written by Bill Martin Jr., sends numbers racing up an apple tree. Read the number names aloud and ask your child to hold up that many fingers.

These moments turn addition sentences into everyday talk. Finally, check the page with the answer key together and praise the reading: "You read every word before you drew the line. That is careful thinking."