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Parts and whole are simple ideas. The whole is all of something. The parts are the pieces that make the whole. For example, a whole apple pie can be cut into two pieces. Those two pieces are parts. We use hands-on things first. Give a child five stones. Ask them to put some stones in one bowl and the rest in another. The stones in each bowl are parts. All stones together are the whole.
We practise by saying the words and showing the things. Use pictures of toys, fruits or blocks. Show two parts that join to make the whole. Say each time: part + part = whole. This helps the child to link the idea with counting. Repeat with different numbers and different objects. Make the activity short and fun. Let the child move the objects to find other ways to make the same whole. This builds flexible thinking about numbers.
Number bonds to five are the pairs of parts that join to make 5. We learn these first because five is small and easy. Use fingers, beads, or counters to show different pairs. For example, 5 can be split as 5 and 0, 4 and 1, 3 and 2, 2 and 3, 1 and 4, 0 and 5. We often teach the different orders so children know that 2 + 3 and 3 + 2 are both ways to make 5. Say each bond aloud and use counting to check. Show a picture with five stars and colour some of them red and the rest blue. Count the red and the blue stars to see the two parts.
Practice makes the bonds quick to say. Play simple games: hide some counters under a cup and show the rest, then ask how many are hidden. Use a number bond diagram with one big circle for 5 and two small circles for the parts. Writing the pairs and saying them helps memory. Once children know bonds to five, they feel confident to learn bonds to ten.
Number bonds to ten are important for quick adding later. Ten is the next big step after five. Use ten small objects like buttons or beads. Put some in one group and the rest in another. Count each group. Show many ways to make ten: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, and so on. Make a ten-frame (two rows of five boxes) and place counters to show parts. This visual helps children see missing pieces easily.
Practise by saying pairs and using fingers (for example, hold one finger up and notice nine down). Play games: ask a child, 'I have 7 blocks; how many more to make 10?' Teach writing the sums: 7 + 3 = 10, so the missing part is 3. Keep practice short and lively. Once children know bonds to ten, they can add and subtract small numbers faster and use this knowledge later when adding larger numbers.
Young learners understand best when they touch things. Use toys, stones, beads, fruits or blocks. Ask the child to make two groups and count each group. Draw pictures if objects are not available. Pictures of apples, balloons or pencils work well. Show how to move objects from one group to another and see how the parts change while the whole stays the same. This helps children see that many different pairs can make the same whole.
Work in small steps. Start with three or four objects, then move to larger numbers. Use trays, bowls or cups as containers so groups look clear. Encourage the child to say the parts and whole aloud: 'There are 2 in this bowl and 3 in that bowl. 2 and 3 make 5.' Make simple stories: 'Riya has 4 biscuits. She gives 1 to her friend. How many left?' Use pictures to draw the story if needed. Hands-on practice builds strong number sense and keeps young learners engaged.
When we know the whole and one part, the task is to find the missing part. This idea is called the missing part or missing addend. Start with objects so the child sees the numbers. For example, place 5 stones as the whole. Put 2 stones in one group and ask the child to count how many are in the other group. The child can move stones to the empty group until both groups show the split. Counting the second group gives the missing part. Show the matching number sentence with a blank: 5 = 2 + __. Explain that the blank is the missing number and can be found by counting on from 2 to 5 or by removing 2 from 5.
Use several methods so learners choose one they like. Method 1: count on — start at 2 and count 3, 4, 5 to see that three more are needed. Method 2: take-away — remove 2 from 5 and count what remains. Method 3: use a ten-frame or number line for a visual step-by-step count. Practice with numbers up to ten and with different known parts. Give short, simple sentences like 'There are 8 apples. 5 are red. How many are not red?' Draw the apples and cross-colour the known part, then count the rest. Repeat with pictures and objects, and write the full sentence each time: 8 = 5 + __, __ = 3. Keep activities short and use praise to build confidence. This skill also leads naturally to subtraction as the child learns to think of finding what is left when some are taken away.
Writing number bonds means showing the parts and whole in a clear way on paper. Begin by matching the picture to a written sentence. Show a diagram with two small circles and a big circle. Ask the child to count each small circle and say the numbers. Next, write the addition sentence below the picture, for example 2 + 3 = 5. Teach the plus sign (+) as the word 'and' and the equals sign (=) as the word 'makes' or 'is'. Practice saying the sentence out loud as the child writes so spoken words and written signs match.
Explain that the order of parts does not change the answer: 2 + 3 = 5 and 3 + 2 = 5. Give simple worksheets where the child matches drawings to the correct number sentence, fills in blanks like 5 = __ + 2, and draws their own part–whole picture for a given number. Encourage neat numbers and correct spacing for signs. Use short, guided writing: first copy sentences, then write from memory. Show examples of the same bond written in different ways: as two parts under a whole, as an addition sentence, or as a missing-part sentence. Help the child check work by using counters to confirm the written sentence. Praise correct writing and gentle correction when needed. Regular short practice helps children become confident writing simple number sentences for parts and whole and prepares them for adding larger numbers later.
Making number bonds quick and ready comes from playing short, lively games. Keep games under ten minutes so children stay excited. Use flash cards with dots or small pictures. Show a card for a moment and ask the child to call out a pair that makes the whole. For example, show 7 dots and ask for a part like 2 so the child answers 7 = 2 + 5 quickly. Use a timer for a friendly race: how many bonds to ten can you name in sixty seconds? Give small rewards like stickers for improvement.
Other games use movement and hands. One child shows some fingers and the other shows how many more to make five or ten. Use dice: roll two dice, count the dots on both, and write the bond. Play partner games where one child covers counters and the other guesses the hidden part. Sing short rhymes that list number bond pairs for five and ten. Keep repeating the same small sets (like bonds to five and ten) so memory grows. Use a ten-frame race: who fills the ten-frame to ten fastest by adding the right number? These playful, repeated activities build quick recall which helps when children start larger addition and subtraction. Always end with praise and a short review of the pairs learned that day.
Short stories help children use number bonds in real life. Keep each story simple and use familiar objects like apples, pencils or toys. Read the story slowly and ask the child to tell it back in their own words. Draw the objects from the story so parts and whole are visible. For example: 'Asha has 6 marbles. She keeps 2 and gives the rest to her friend. How many did she give?' Draw six marbles, circle two for Asha, and count the remaining marbles to find the missing part. Write the number sentence 6 = 2 + __ and fill the blank.
Teach a step-by-step plan: (1) Read the sentence, (2) Draw or use objects, (3) Find parts and whole, (4) Write the number sentence, (5) Answer. Use both join and separate problems. Join example: 'Ravi has 3 red balloons and 2 blue balloons. How many balloons are there?' Separate example: 'There are 5 cookies. Neha eats 2. How many left?' Use pictures, counters or ten-frames to show the problem. Encourage children to say the number sentence aloud and check with objects. Offer easy choices: give two possible answers and ask which is right. Repeat short problems often and use praise. These small stories make number bonds useful and show that counting helps solve everyday questions.