This is the second strategy in our series of featured math strategies. This month, we’re focusing on Using Doubles. Using doubles helps students understand addition because it builds on facts they already know, making new problems easier and less intimidating. Doubles act as anchor facts, allowing students to use patterns and relationships—like adjusting by one for near doubles. This approach promotes relational thinking, supports flexible mental strategies, and deepens conceptual understanding when paired with visual models, turning addition into a connected, meaningful process instead of memorization.

Image Source: Math is FigureOutAble! The Most Important Numeracy Strategies, Pam Harris.
Try these questions at home using doubles:
4 + 6 =
6 + 8 =
7 + 9 =
13 + 11 =
16 + 14 =