Grade 1 Addition and Subtraction Worksheets

Why the numbers stay small

It is tempting to move a confident child on to larger numbers, but fluency within 20 is the thing that pays off. A child who still counts on their fingers for 8 plus 5 will manage, slowly, until the sums get long enough that the counting itself becomes the error. Time spent making the small facts automatic is not time spent standing still.

Counting on, and when to stop allowing it

Counting on from the larger number is a legitimate strategy and a step forward from counting everything. But it is a bridge, not a destination. If a child is still counting on at the end of Grade 1 for facts they have practiced hundreds of times, the missing piece is usually the number bonds to ten rather than more repetition of the same sums.

Making ten is the strategy worth teaching

For a sum like 8 plus 5, the reliable method is to take 2 from the 5 to fill the 8 up to 10, leaving 10 plus 3. Children who own this can handle any pair inside 20 without counting. It takes longer to teach than counting on and it is the difference between a child who is fluent and a child who is fast at counting.

Subtraction is not just addition backwards

Many children who are secure at addition stall at subtraction, because it is presented as the same operation reversed and it does not feel that way. Asking what you add to 6 to reach 13 is often easier for a child than asking what 13 take away 6 is, even though the answer is identical. If subtraction is the sticking point, try phrasing it as the missing addend and watch what happens.

Printing Tips

• Print at 100% or Actual Size so the working space under each problem stays usable.
• Print page one for the child and keep page two as your answer key.
• Grayscale or draft mode is fine; nothing depends on color.
• Print two variants at a time: one for guided practice, one for independent work.

Frequently Asked Questions