Teach your students to "count on" from the highest number. For example, explain to your students that when adding 5 + 3, they do not have to count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Instead, they can start at the 5 and continue on: 5, 6, 7, 8.
Teach addition families. For example, 5 + 3 = 8 and 3 + 5 = 8.
Play games that incorporate addition. Board games that use two dice, such as Parcheesi and Monopoly, help children understand addition because they have to add the numbers on the dice to move their pieces.
Instruct your students to draw pictures to represent the addition problem. A visual representation of the numbers will help the children understand what addition really means.
Utilize word problems. Instead of asking your students to tell you what 5 + 7 equals say, "If I have five apples and my students bring me seven more apples. How many apples will I have all together?" Word problems make addition meaningful to your students' lives.
Demonstrate how to use an abacus. An abacus allows children to see how groups of 10 are formed, which helps them understand double digit addition and carrying numbers from the one's place to the ten's place.
Place an addition worksheet face down on your students' desks. When you tell them, "Go," they turn over their papers and answer the addition problems as quickly as they can. Give your students one minute to answer as many problems as they can. These sprints should be used for practice and should not be graded.