Add 10, 100 or 1,000 to numbers up to 5 digits by changing the right digit.
Download the sheets
Each file is an editable Word document (.docx) with 25 questions in five columns. It opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, so you can change questions or add working space before printing.
Adding 10, 100 or 1,000 changes just one digit, as long as you know which column to look at. Children who see this pattern can answer these in their heads.
Example 1
Adding 100
4,386 + 100
We are adding 100, which is 1 hundred. So look at the hundreds column only.
4,386 in a place value table
Th
H
T
O
Start
4
3
8
6
The hundreds digit goes up by 1: 3 + 1 = 4. Every other digit stays exactly the same.
Before and after
Th
H
T
O
Start
4
3
8
6
Add 100
4
4
8
6
So 4,386 + 100 = 4,486.
Answer: 4,486
Example 2
Adding 10, with a carry
5,792 + 10
We are adding 10, which is 1 ten. So look at the tens column only.
5,792 in a place value table
Th
H
T
O
Start
5
7
9
2
The tens digit is 9. 9 + 1 = 10, which is too big for one column, so write 0 and carry 1 into the hundreds column.
Before and after
Th
H
T
O
Start
5
7
9
2
Add 10
5
8
0
2
So 5,792 + 10 = 5,802.
Answer: 5,802
Example 3
Adding 1,000 to a 5-digit number
38,640 + 1,000
We are adding 1,000, which is 1 thousand. So look at the thousands column only.
38,640 in a place value table
TTh
Th
H
T
O
Start
3
8
6
4
0
The thousands digit goes up by 1: 8 + 1 = 9. Every other digit stays exactly the same.
Before and after
TTh
Th
H
T
O
Start
3
8
6
4
0
Add 1,000
3
9
6
4
0
So 38,640 + 1,000 = 39,640.
Answer: 39,640
Top tips
10 is one ten, 100 is one hundred and 1,000 is one thousand: add 1 to that column.
Say the number aloud in words first (“four thousand, three hundred and eighty-six”) and the hundreds digit is easy to spot.
The order does not matter: 1,000 + 245 is the same as 245 + 1,000.
Watch out for
Changing the wrong column, for example adding 1 to the tens when adding 100.
Forgetting to carry when the digit is 9, such as 5,792 + 10.
Try some questions
These are from the worksheet. Work each one out, then open it to check.