Dice Addition is an interactive maths game designed for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade students who are developing early addition skills — specifically the critical transition from counting all to counting on.
Research by Secada, Fuson, and Hall (1983) identified three distinct stages children move through when learning to add: counting every object from one, knowing one part and counting on the other, and finally starting from the larger number and counting on efficiently. This game is built around that developmental progression.
Level 1 meets children where they are. Young learners naturally default to what researchers call the counting all (or "sum") strategy — starting back at one and counting every single dot. This is completely normal, especially in Kindergarten and early First Grade, and should be honoured rather than rushed. Level 1 allows students to do exactly that. Both dice are fully visible, all dots can be counted, and the game asks each question one step at a time — first dice, second dice, then the total — building confidence and reinforcing one-to-one correspondence before moving forward.
Level 2 scaffolds the shift to counting on. Rather than hiding the first number entirely, the dice transforms into a numeral — the dots disappear and the number takes their place. The student can no longer drop back to one and count all the dots. They are gently but firmly required to hold that starting number in their head and count on from it using the second dice. The game also ensures the larger number always comes first, which aligns with research showing that starting from the bigger addend is the most efficient and natural entry point into the counting-on strategy (Baroody, 1987; Fuson & Briars, 1990).
This structure reflects best practice in early numeracy instruction: allow students to use their trusted strategy first, then create conditions that make the more efficient strategy necessary — not by telling them what to do, but by changing what they can see.
Dice Addition is designed for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students who are in the early stages of building addition skills. It is particularly well suited for students still relying on the counting all strategy — starting back at one and counting every object — who are ready to be gently moved toward the more efficient counting on strategy. Within an MTSS framework, this game works well as a Tier 1 whole-class introduction on a smartboard or as a targeted Tier 2 tool for small groups identified through a diagnostic assessment as needing support with early addition. Paraprofessionals and intervention specialists will find Level 1 and Level 2 easy to use without any prep or training.
Start with Level 1 for any student who is still counting every object from one. Use it on a smartboard with the whole class and let students call out their counts together — this normalizes the counting all stage and builds confidence before introducing Level 2. Once students are reliably counting on from the smaller number, move them to Level 2, which removes the dots from the first dice and forces students to hold the starting number in their heads. For progress monitoring, note whether students self-correct when they accidentally count back from one — this is a reliable indicator that the counting on strategy is beginning to take hold. Pair this game with the Primary Numeracy Intervention Program assessment data to identify exactly which students need the most repetition at each level.
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