Grade 1 (age 6-7)

grade 1 Carrying and Borrowing

Carry and Borrow

Carrying and borrowing are ways of bundling and unbundling numbers around ten. When the ones pass ten, as in 7 + 5, you gather ten into a bundle and carry it over; when they are too few to subtract, as in 13 − 5, you unbundle a ten. The make-ten trick is handy: for 8 + 5, add 2 to reach 10, then add the leftover 3. Slide the two numbers and the blocks gather into a ten, then break apart again.

Let's Make 10!

🧱 What is Carrying?

①How do we calculate 7 + 5 = 12?

②When ones exceed 10, group them into 10

③1 ten + 2 ones = 12!

④This is called "carrying"

Try Carrying

First bundle7

Second bundle5

💡 Make-10 Strategy

①If the sum exceeds 10, group 10

②7 + 5: add 3 to 7 to make 10, then add the remaining 2

③Make a ten → "carry"!

④If the sum stays at 10 or less, do not group

⑤Filling up to 10 from the bigger number is easy

Try Borrowing

Total13

Subtract5

📦 What is Borrowing?

①In 13 − 5, you can't subtract 5 from 3 in the ones place

②Unbundle one ten → now 13 ones!

③13 − 5 = 8

④Unbundling a ten to subtract is "borrowing"

Summary

Carrying

Ones sum ≥ 10 → make a ten

e.g., 8 + 5 = 13 → 1 ten + 3 ones

Borrowing

Can't subtract in ones → unbundle a ten

e.g., 12 − 7 → unbundle 10 to make 12 ones, subtract 7 → 5

Make-10 Strategy

8 + 5 = 8 + 2 + 3 = 10 + 3 = 13

Make 10 first, then add the rest

🎯 Remember!

①Group 10 → 1 ten (carrying)

②Unbundle 1 ten → 10 ones (borrowing)

③Making 10 is the key strategy

④Keep practicing the make-10 strategy!

⑤Great job! Next: shapes!

Examples and Unit Test

Example 1

What is 7 + 6? (addition with carrying)

First make 10 by adding 3 to 7 (using 3 of the 6).

Add the remaining 3: 10 + 3 = 13.

▸ 13

Carrying means making 10 first, then adding what is left.

Example 2

What is 15 − 8? (subtraction with borrowing)

You cannot subtract 8 from the 5 in the ones place.

Unbundle the ten to make 15 ones, then 15 − 8 = 7.

▸ 7

Borrowing means unbundling a ten when the ones are too few to subtract.

Unit Test

What is the value of 8 + 7?

①13

②14

③15

④16

▸ ③ 15

Make 10 by adding 2 to 8 (using 2 of the 7).

Add the remaining 5: 10 + 5 = 15.

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Subtraction Basics

3D Shapes