Addition With Regrouping: Free Practice and How to Use It

If your child can add 34 + 12 but freezes on 47 + 28, regrouping is the missing piece. It’s not a hard concept, but it does require a new routine and a little patience. Below is how to teach it step-by-step, what to watch for, and where to find free addition with regrouping worksheets that actually help.

What is addition with regrouping?

Addition with regrouping happens when you add two numbers and one of the columns (ones, tens, or hundreds) adds up to 10 or more. Since each place can only hold a single digit, you keep the ones digit in that column and carry the extra ten to the next column on the left.

Take 47 + 28:

1. Add the ones column: 7 + 8 = 15. That’s more than 9, so we regroup.
2. Write the ones digit, carry the ten: 15 is 1 ten and 5 ones. Write the 5 in the ones place and carry the 1 above the tens column.
3. Add the tens column, including the carried ten: 1 + 4 + 2 = 7. Write 7 in the tens place.
4. Read the answer: 75.

This skill maps directly to Common Core standard 2.NBT.B.5, which asks 2nd graders to add two two-digit numbers fluently within 100 using place-value strategies.

How to teach addition with regrouping step-by-step

Step 1: Start with base-ten blocks or bundled objects

The idea that makes regrouping click is 10 ones become 1 ten. Use base-ten blocks, bundled straws, or even pennies and dimes. Have your child build both numbers with blocks, then add the ones. When they have 10 or more ones, have them physically trade 10 ones for 1 ten and move it to the tens column.

Doing this trade with their hands turns “carry the 1” from a mystery rule into something they’ve actually seen happen.

Step 2: Move to paper with the same language

Once your child can do the trade with blocks, move to paper but keep the same words. Walk through 47 + 28 and say:

• “Add the ones: 7 + 8 = 15.”
• “15 is 1 ten and 5 ones. Write the 5, carry the 1 ten.”
• “Now add the tens: 1 + 4 + 2 = 7.”

Repeat this exact script on three or four problems. The repetition is what builds the routine.

Step 3: Practice with worksheets that mix regrouping and non-regrouping problems

Kids need to recognize when to regroup, not just how. A good worksheet mixes problems like 34 + 12 (no regrouping) and 47 + 28 (regrouping) so they have to check each column instead of carrying every time.

The 3 mistakes kids make with regrouping (and how to fix them)

Where to find free addition with regrouping worksheets

A good worksheet should:

• Mix problems that need regrouping with ones that don’t.
• Show space for work, with boxes or lines for each place.
• Include an answer key so you can check without doing the math yourself.
• Start simple (two-digit numbers only) and add harder problems (three-digit, multiple carries) only after the basics are solid.

Many sites offer free printables. Look for ones that are clean, uncluttered, and don’t require an email to download. You can also generate custom sets with tools like Octolearn, which builds grade-matched problems and includes read-aloud support so your child can practice independently.

Fun ways to practice addition with regrouping at home

Worksheets are useful, but real-life math makes the skill stick:

• Store receipts: add two prices and check the total.
• Board games: add up scores at the end of each round.
• Dice or cards: roll or flip to build two-digit numbers, then race to add them.
• Cooking: double a recipe and add the ingredient amounts.

Keep it to five or ten minutes, and when your child gets one wrong, give a hint and let them try again before you show the answer. That second try is where the learning happens.

How to know your child has mastered regrouping

Your child is ready to move on when they can:

• Add two two-digit numbers with regrouping quickly and accurately.
• Recognize when a column needs regrouping without being told.
• Explain why they carry (“10 ones make 1 ten”).
• Solve simple word problems that use addition with regrouping.

Once those feel solid, the natural next steps are subtraction with regrouping (also called borrowing) and three-digit addition, which use the same column routine.

Free Double-digit Addition With Regrouping Worksheet

Free · no email required · print at home

Open & print

The easiest way to give your child practice

For most parents, the hardest part isn’t teaching the math. It’s finding enough of the right problems and keeping your child willing to do them. That’s where Octolearn helps: describe the skill (“addition with regrouping”), and it builds a grade-matched practice set with read-aloud on every question, a hint and a second try before the answer, and stars that keep kids coming back. It’s free to try, and it works on any device.