Elementary addition, the foundation of understanding complex mathematical concepts, can be easier to retain when taught as a life skill that is incorporated in multiple subject areas.

Addition can be taught in a fun setting when applied in game time, as it will entertain and enchant young students to pay attention and recall rules and standards.

Begin by selecting an item that has some sort of visual importance, like a few pennies, and give each student the same amount at the beginning of the day.

Continue to dole out an addition of pennies to students as they answer questions about other subject areas correctly.

Periodically ask the students to use addition to count how many pennies they have and give them a goal to achieve by the end of the day, such as a stack of ten pennies.

If a student misbehaves or refuses to participate in any class activity, simply use subtraction take away a penny (or pennies if really naughty).

Have a penny break in the middle of a lesson and ask a student how many pennies they have, then ask another student how many pennies they have and award a penny to the student who can use addition to sum the two totals together the fastest.

Ask, I have x-amount of stickers in my right hand, and x-amount of stickers in my left hand, how many stickers are there total; reward the student with all the stickers if answered correctly.

Learning about addition can be kept visual and interactive by creating a math quiz that the children first draw and color.

On a piece of paper, create a scene with identical items for addition; keep in mind that the scene should be familiar and fun for young children, such as: under the sea or outer space.

Working with only three colors per student, hand out markers and crayons while giving instruction to color specific items using one of the three colors per item.

When the picture has been colored begin asking addition questions about the landscape, such as: how many purple dinosaurs are there?

Learning opportunities for addition are available throughout the day by blending math concepts into other subject areas.

A great example of how this is done is in story time, where a teacher can use the long pauses between page turns to ask students addition questions about the picture or story.

Addition can be applied during clean up time as well.

A quick addition lesson can come from tumbled stack of building blocks when the class is asked, if three blocks are on the carpet and two blocks are on the tile, how many blocks are there all together?

This constant quizzing will keep addition methods consistent in the child's thought process and will bring confidence in examinations.

Lessons that are short and consistent will keep young students engaged.

Students will have fun while advancing to the next level of education when lessons are kept fresh and relevant.

This style of teaching will show students how addition impacts decision-making, as well as how to incorporate their lessons in activities outside of the classroom.

Times tables worksheets can be helpful, if they are used along side a good strategy such as speak to learn.

Worksheets suggests work, writing is work. What your child needs is speaking not writing when doing times tables worksheets.

How many parents have considered using times tables worksheets only for learning and testing rather than for sitting and writing.

Often a child trying to attempt a times tables worksheet will feel like they are being tested and not that they are actually learning anything. This could make your child avoid learning their times tables and putting them off math altogether.

Your child needs a method that involves speaking to learn their times tables in a fast and fun way instead.

Additions - find out how they relate to Times Tables and how best to use them to help your children at Maths, go to www.timestablesmaths.com.