Adding with Regrouping (Hundreds) & Word Problems

Free sample questions, a clear explanation, and 5 practice skills with an AI tutor that guides without giving the answer away.

Level Up Your Addition! Let's Regroup!

Wow, you are becoming a true math superstar! You've learned to add smaller numbers, and now we're going to use a special power called regrouping to add REALLY big, 3-digit numbers. It's easier than you think!

Imagine Building with Blocks!

Think about your building blocks. You have small single blocks (Ones), long rods of 10 blocks (Tens), and big flat squares of 100 blocks (Hundreds).

In math, a place value column can only hold 9 blocks. If you get 10 single blocks in the Ones place, you can't just squish them in! You have to trade them for one long Ten rod and move that new rod to the Tens place. That's regrouping! We do the same thing when we get 10 Ten rods – we trade them for one big Hundred square!

Key Takeaway!

When a column adds up to 10 or more, you bundle up a group of 10 and carry it over to the next place value home on the left! 🏡

Let's Solve a Tasty Problem!

A baker is having a busy day! She needs 350 cookies for a party and 280 cookies for a school bake sale. How many cookies does she need to bake in total?

First, let's draw a bar model to see the parts and the whole:

350

280

? Total Cookies

Now, let's add and regroup to find the total!

Add the Ones: 0 ones + 0 ones = 0 ones. Easy peasy! We write a 0 in the ones place.
Add the Tens: 5 tens + 8 tens = 13 tens. Uh oh, that's more than 9! We need to regroup. 13 tens is the same as 1 hundred and 3 tens. We write the 3 in the tens place and carry the new 1 hundred over to the hundreds place.
Add the Hundreds: Don't forget the hundred we carried over! 1 hundred + 3 hundreds + 2 hundreds = 6 hundreds. We write a 6 in the hundreds place.

The baker needs a total of 630 cookies! 🍪

Sample questions

1. Mia collected 245 stickers. Her friend, Sam, gave her 178 more stickers. How many stickers does Mia have now?

○ 313

○ 413

✓ 423

○ 422

Answer: 423 — Remember to add the ones first, then the tens, and then the hundreds. Don't forget to regroup when you have 10 or more!

2. A baker made 387 cookies in the morning and 245 cookies in the afternoon. How many cookies did the baker make in all?

○ 522

○ 622

○ 631

✓ 632

Answer: 632 — Start by adding the ones. If you have 10 or more, carry over to the tens place. Do the same for the tens place!

3. There are 468 red apples and 353 green apples in a big basket. How many apples are there altogether?

✓ 821

○ 711

○ 811

○ 822

Answer: 821 — Use a place value chart to help you add. Remember to carry over when the sum is 10 or more in any column.

Skills in this topic

Add two 3-digit numbers with regrouping in the ones and tens places
Add two 3-digit numbers with regrouping in the hundreds place
Add two 3-digit numbers with regrouping across all places (ones, tens, hundreds)
Solve one-step addition word problems within 1,000 using bar models
A baker needs 350 cookies for one order and 280 for another. Draw a bar model to show the total number of cookies needed and explain your regrouping steps

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