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Year 5 · Maths · Adding and subtracting large numbers · Lesson 1

Column addition

Column addition of numbers with more than four digits, including three numbers and word problems, showing carrying column by column.

Whiteboard video lesson: Column addition

34-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Line up numbers in columns
  • Add with carrying
  • Add three numbers
  • Solve addition word problems

The method

  1. Estimate.
  2. Line up.
  3. Add and carry.
  4. Check.

Key words: column addition, carry, total, estimate, place value.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

Work out 2,341 + 4,526.

  1. Step 1: Line up the columns
  2. Step 2: Add the ones
  3. Step 3: Add the tens
  4. Step 4: Add the hundreds
  5. Step 5: Add the thousands

Answer: 6,867

Question 2

Work out 3,658 + 2,147.

  1. Step 1: Line up the columns
  2. Step 2: Add the ones
  3. Step 3: Add the tens
  4. Step 4: Add the hundreds
  5. Step 5: Add the thousands

Answer: 5,805

Question 3

Work out 4,795 + 3,268.

  1. Step 1: Line up the columns
  2. Step 2: Add the ones
  3. Step 3: Add the tens
  4. Step 4: Add the hundreds
  5. Step 5: Add the thousands

Answer: 8,063