Learning Map

Grouping numbers to add

Understand and apply the associative property of addition: when adding three numbers, any two can be added first

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

If your child needs to add 3 + 7 + 6, can they spot that adding 3 and 7 first (to make 10) is easier — rather than always working left to right?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on
Addition as combining or putting together twoages 4–6Associativity requires understanding addition as combining
Addition in any orderages 6–7Associative property builds on commutative — both involve rearranging addends
Grouping numbers to addthis skill · ages 6–7
Unlocks
Adding Three Small Numbersages 6–7Adding three numbers uses the associative property to group pairs

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 2 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9M3A01medium confidenceYear 3 · Algebra

recognise and explain the connection between addition and subtraction as inverse operations, apply to partition numbers and find unknown values in number sentences

AC9M2N05medium confidenceYear 2 · Number

multiply and divide by one-digit numbers using repeated addition, equal grouping, arrays, and partitioning to support a variety of calculation strategies

AC9M3N03low confidenceYear 3 · Number

add and subtract two- and three-digit numbers using place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to assist in calculations without a calculator

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

MAE-CSQ-01medium confidenceMathematics K-10 · Early Stage 1
MA1-CSQ-01medium confidenceMathematics K-10 · Stage 1

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2M3A01medium confidenceMathematics · Level 3 · Algebra strand
VC2M2N05medium confidenceMathematics · Level 2 · Number strand
VC2M3N04low confidenceMathematics · Level 3 · Number strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

All Addition & Subtraction skills →