Let's solve this word problem step by step. Xiao Ming starts with 5 pencils, then he buys 3 more pencils. We need to find out how many pencils he has in total. This is an addition problem where we combine two quantities to find the sum.
Addition is a fundamental mathematical operation that means combining or putting together quantities. When we add, we use the plus symbol and the equal sign. For example, when we have 3 objects in one group and 2 objects in another group, addition helps us find that together they make 5 objects total.
Now let's create a visual model of Xiao Ming's problem using pencil icons. We'll show his initial 5 pencils in blue, then the 3 pencils he bought in red. Finally, we'll combine both groups to see the total number of pencils. This visual approach helps us understand the addition process clearly.
现在让我们用正式的数学方法来解决这个问题。我们写出算式5加3等于问号。其中5代表小明原有的铅笔，3代表他买的铅笔，我们需要求出总数。当我们计算5加3时，得到8。因此，小明总共有8支铅笔。
Let's verify our answer by counting all the pencils. We can see all 8 pencils here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This confirms our calculation that 5 plus 3 equals 8. Our problem-solving method worked correctly: we identified the given information, chose addition as the right operation, performed the calculation, and verified the result. Therefore, Xiao Ming has 8 pencils in total.