Combination

Ivy had 3 pairs of basketball shoes. When she went to the thrift store, she found 2 more pairs of basketball shoes that she liked, and she bought them. Now, how many pairs of basketball shoes does Ivy have?

Static

Zeke and Ivy went on a picnic. Zeke ate 2 cookies, and Ivy (being her usual greedy self) ate 6 cookies. How many cookies did Ivy and Zeke eat in all?

Incremental

Ivy’s sandcastle was 2 feet high. She decided she wanted a bigger sandcastle and built it 3 feet taller. How big is Ivy’s sandcastle now?

SUBTRACTION ACTIVITIES

Take-Away

Max was playing skee-ball at the arcade. He started the game with 9 balls. He’s already thrown 6 balls up the aisle. How many balls does Max still have to play skee-ball with?

Additive

The kitchen sink is full of dishes. If there were 9 gross pots at first and Adele has already washed 3 of them, how many more does she have to wash before she is finished?

Comparative

This year, Zoe has gone out with 2 different guys. Cecily has gone out with 7 different guys. Who’s had more dates? How many more?

Partitioning

This year, Ivy has gone to 8 different restaurants. 5 of them were fast-food restaurants. How many restaurants has Ivy been to this year that were NOT fast-food restaurants?

Incremental

On a rainy day, Ivy’s favorite wading pool was 9 inches high. Then the sun came out for a few days, and 3 inches of the water evaporated. How high is the wading pool now?

[My comment: These are word problems with characters from The House That Ivy Built inserted into the questions. :)]