Addition and subtraction are the basic arithmetic operations that mark the beginning of learning mathematics. Understanding and mastering them forms the foundation for further calculations, as well as for solving word problems, planning expenses, making measurements, and many everyday activities. Curiosity stimulated in a child by frequently asking the question “how many” encourages action and the discovery of mathematical relationships.

In early primary education, it is extremely important that a child not only knows the symbolic notation of an operation but also understands what it represents: addition means joining and increasing a set, while subtraction means taking away and reducing it. Children learn most effectively through action, experience, and play—not through abstract symbols alone.

Korbo blocks perfectly support this stage of learning because they enable:

• manipulating concrete elements while building models of operations,

• physically adding and removing blocks within a construction,

• visually comparing quantities and differences in height, length, and number of elements,

• introducing operations through movement, building, rotating, and shifting, which activates different learning styles.

Activities using Korbo blocks help children feel and understand mathematics with their whole bodies, not only “in their heads” or “on paper.” This chapter provides a foundation for further learning and prepares children for mathematical thinking in a natural, dynamic, and engaging way.