Fact family
Addition and subtraction fact families
Use six number triangles to write two additions and two subtractions per family. Choose first addends from 1–12; the other addend is from 1–9.
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Fact families with both addends selected
Choose at least three addends from 1–12 and use only those choices for both parts of six addition and subtraction triangles.
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Use each triangle to complete two addition and two subtraction equations. Both addends come from the checked choices; the top value is their sum.
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Customize this worksheetWhat the choices control
Choose at least three different addends from 1–12. Both parts of every triangle come from that set, with doubles allowed. Sums can reach 24; the sum itself does not need to be selected.
Every family keeps four equation rows. When its two parts or factors are equal, swapping them changes nothing: there are only two distinct equations, each written twice.
Learning objective
What this activity builds
Connect addition and subtraction while practicing a deliberately limited set of parts.
Worked example
With only 1, 2 and 3 selected, what facts does the 2, 3 and 5 triangle show?
2 + 3 = 5; 3 + 2 = 5; 5 − 3 = 2; 5 − 2 = 3.
Both parts, 2 and 3, are selected. The whole is their sum, so 5 does not need to be one of the selected addends.
Teaching notes
Make the practice count
- For teacher-led first practice, select 1, 2 and 3 after the learner understands composing and decomposing numbers. Both parts stay in that set and the sums range from 2 to 6.
- At least three different choices are required to provide six different unordered pairs. If too few are checked, select another value; the generator will not silently replace your choices.
- Exactly three selected addends produce all six possible unordered pairs including doubles. More choices create a larger pool, so not every selected value must appear on a page.
- Doubles have two distinct facts written in four slots. For 3, 3 and 6, repeat 3 + 3 = 6 and 6 − 3 = 3 rather than changing the given numbers.
- Keep the selected parts separate from the possible wholes. Choosing 1–12 allows sums up to 24, even though 24 is not a checkbox option.
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