Real-World to Maths Connections · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Turning real stories into math

Mathematics · Mathematical Thinking · ages 5-6
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. 3 red cars and 2 blue cars join in a line. How many cars in total?

    Answer: ______________

  2. 4 ducks sit on the pond. 3 more ducks land. Which picture shows this story?

    • 4 dots with 3 of them crossed out
    • 7 dots with 3 of them crossed out
    • 4 dots with 3 more dots joined on

  3. Putting groups together matches addition. Is that right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. This picture shows 2 dots, then 4 more dots joining them. Which numbers does the picture show?

    • 4 take away 2 leaves 2
    • 2 and 4 make 6
    • 2 and 4 make 8

  5. Sam has 4 buttons and then finds 3 more. To find how many buttons he has now, Sam should take away.

    Circle one:   True   False

  6. Dan had 5 grapes. He ate 2. What picture shows this?

    • 5 dots with 2 crossed out
    • 5 dots with 2 more added
    • 5 dots with no changes

  7. 7 ducks swim. 3 more join them. How many ducks in total?

    Answer: ______________

  8. 4 counters and 3 more counters are put together. Count them. How many are there?

    Answer: ______________

  9. All three stories use the numbers 5 and 2. Which one is a putting together story?

    • Kim had 5 pens and Jo gave her 2 more
    • Kim had 5 pens and gave 2 to Jo
    • Kim had 5 pens and lost 2 at school

  10. Lars had 10 balloons. 4 balloons popped. Lars says 14 balloons are left. How many balloons are really left?

    Answer: ______________

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Turning real stories into math W1-mt_IM1G_7QzTa-s1

  1. 5 · 3 plus 2 is 5 cars.
  2. 4 dots with 3 more dots joined on · Ducks landing means the groups join, so the picture is 4 dots with 3 more dots joined on.
  3. True · Right. Joining is adding.
  4. 2 and 4 make 6 · The dots join, so the numbers join too: 2 and 4 make 6.
  5. False · Finding more buttons joins the groups, so Sam adds: 4 and 3 make 7.
  6. 5 dots with 2 crossed out · Eating grapes means taking away, so 2 dots get crossed out.
  7. 10 · 7 plus 3 is 10 ducks.
  8. 7 · Put the two groups together and count all 7 counters.
  9. Kim had 5 pens and Jo gave her 2 more · Only Kim had 5 pens and Jo gave her 2 more makes Kim's group bigger, so that one puts together.
  10. 6 · Popping takes balloons away instead of bringing more, so 10 take away 4 leaves 6.
Worksheet · LightMySky