Same Math › Grades 1–2 › Doubles and near doubles
What are doubles and near doubles?
Doubles are facts like 6 + 6 that most kids learn early. Near doubles use them for nearby facts: 6 + 7 is just 6 + 6 plus one more, so 13.
- 6 + 6 is a double kids already know: 12.
- 7 is one more than 6, so add one more.
- 6 + 7 = 6 + 6 + 1 = 13
Why schools teach it
Kids use facts they know to find ones they don't
First graders are expected to add within 20 using strategies, and the standard gives this exact one: adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13 (1.OA.C.6).
Doubles stick easily (they show up as two hands, egg cartons, dice). Near doubles turn them into many more facts, which is how kids reach fluency within 20 by the end of 2nd grade (2.OA.B.2).
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What double is close to 7 + 8?
7 + 7 or 8 + 8. Both work.Is it one more or one less than the double?
Where do you see doubles around the house?
Eggs, wheels, shoes. A fun game for car rides.Can you use 8 + 8 to find 8 + 7?
That's doubles minus one.
Skip this
- Using near doubles for numbers far apart.It works when the numbers are one (or two) apart, like 6 + 7, not 3 + 9.
Just count up.
Counting works, but the double is faster and builds fluency.- Drilling doubles without the link.The point is using doubles for other facts, not just memorizing them.
See it in action
Solving 8 + 9 with a near double
Find the double
8 + 8 = 169 is one more than 8
add 1 moreAdjust the double
16 + 1 = 17
Some kids use 9 + 9 = 18, then take 1 away. Both are correct.
Free practice sheet
Make a doubles sheet
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Parents also ask
Which doubles should kids know first?
Doubles to 5 + 5, then to 10 + 10. Most kids know them by the middle of 1st grade.
What about numbers two apart, like 6 + 8?
Some classes use the double in between: 7 + 7 = 14.
Is this the same as making ten?
Different strategy, same goal. Kids pick whichever is easier for a fact.
Do doubles help with multiplication?
Yes. Doubling is multiplying by 2, and doubling twice is multiplying by 4.