Adding and subtracting with formal written methods worksheet

This engaging worksheet offers a series of activities designed to help Key Stage 2 students master the art of adding and subtracting large numbers using formal written methods. In Activity 1, children are encouraged to select random number cards, ranging from three to five digits, and perform addition or subtraction in column format. Their understanding is then tested by their partner, who checks the calculation using the inverse operation. For instance, if one child adds 52,646 and 4,247, their partner will verify the result by subtracting one of these numbers from the total of 56,893. The activity offers variations such as using cards with different digit counts to challenge students further.

In Activity 2, students are tasked with selecting eight single-digit cards and using them to create two five-digit numbers that fulfill a range of criteria, such as forming an odd or even number, the largest or smallest possible total, multiples of 8 or 6, and numbers within specified ranges above or below 50,000. This activity encourages strategic thinking as children share their methods for constructing the five-digit numbers. Activity 3 focuses on error detection and correction in columnar addition and subtraction calculations, while Activity 4 dives into the patterns that emerge when reversing the digits of five-digit numbers and exploring the differences between them. The exercises are designed to deepen students' understanding of number manipulation and the consistent application of formal written methods for adding and subtracting whole numbers with more than four digits.