Practice Buds

Printable Missing Addend Worksheets

Printable missing addend worksheets for kindergarten through 3rd grade, with an answer key on every sheet. The sets below cover 6 different skills, so you can start where your child actually is. Available as missing numbers and speed drills.

Print Missing Addend Packet

Targeted Practice by Skill

About Missing Addend

What this skill is

Missing addend problems present equations with an unknown addend (e.g., 7 + _ = 12), requiring students to count up from 7 to 12 or subtract 7 from 12 to find the missing 5.

When children learn it

Missing addends are taught in 1st through 4th grade, aligned to 1.OA.D.8.

Teaching Tips

  • Rephrase 7 + _ = 12 as 12 minus 7 equals what.
  • Count up on a number line from the known addend to the total sum.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the two given numbers together instead of finding the missing difference (writing 7 + 12 = 19 for 7 + _ = 12).
  • Confusing missing first addends with missing total sums.

More Addition Concepts

Addition SentencesAddition Within 10Addition with Number LinesNumber BondsAddition Facts to 20Doubles and Near DoublesAdding Whole Tens and HundredsFact FamiliesMaking the Next TenTwo-Digit AdditionAddition Word ProblemsAdding Three or More NumbersMental AdditionThree-Digit Addition4-Digit AdditionAdding Large Numbers
View all Addition Worksheets