year 1 problem solving addition and subtraction

Year 1 Addition & Subtraction

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Addition & subtraction in Year 1 (age 5–6)

In Year 1, your child will begin to read, write, and understand mathematical ideas using addition (+), subtraction (–) and equals (=) signs. They will practise counting on and will start solving simple word problems.

The key words for this section are  equivalence  and  number bonds .

What your child will learn

Understand and use addition (+), subtraction (–) and equals (=) signs.

Your child will understand addition, subtraction, and the idea of equivalence . They will also be able to use the ‘+’, ‘–’ and ‘=’ symbols to write calculations, and will be able to understand problems that use these symbols.

They will understand that addition means finding the total of two or more sets of objects or numbers. At first, they will count all objects in the two groups. For example:

If your child has a group of 2 objects and another group of 3 objects, they will count each object in both groups, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Then, they will progress to counting on. This means not always starting from 1, but starting from one of the numbers in the calculation. For example:

If your child has a group of 2 objects and another group of 3 objects, they might start with the 2 objects and count on to find the total: 3, 4, 5.

Your child will start to realise that it is quicker to count on from the larger number in a sum. For example, for the groups of 2 and 3 objects, they will start with the group of 3 and count on 2 more to find the total.

Your child will also know that subtraction means taking away to find how many are left. Objects are very useful for showing how this works. Your child may be introduced to subtraction as difference to begin with. for example, ‘4 – 1’ could be read as ‘What is the difference between 4 and 1?’.

Your child will be expected to use language such as put together , add , altogether , total , take away , distance between , difference between , more than and less than when adding and subtracting.

Use number bonds and related subtraction facts up to 20

Your child will make and use number bonds  up to 20. Number bonds are the different ways to make a number. For example, the number bonds to 4 are:

4 and 0 3 and 1 2 and 2 1 and 3 0 and 4

Your child will learn the pairs of numbers that make 10, and will use their understanding to work out the pairs of numbers that make 20.

Your child will also be expected to know the related subtraction facts up to 20. For example:

If 9 + 7 = 16  … Then 16 – 7 = 9 and 16 – 9 = 7.

Your child will also know that adding zero to a number means it doesn’t change.

Add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20

Your child will add and subtract numbers by using objects, drawing diagrams, and writing calculations down.

Your child will be expected to add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers with answers from 0 to 20. For example, 27 – 11 = 16.

Solve one-step problems and missing number problems

6 + 4 = ? If I buy 6 apples and 4 oranges, how many pieces of fruit do I have altogether?

How to help at home

There are lots of ways you can help your child to understand addition and subtraction. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Play the Number Facts Pairs game

Your child needs to know a range of number facts involving addition and subtraction. Number facts are facts that we know immediately, without the need to calculate, like 2 + 2 = 4.

For instance, it is very important for your child’s future learning that they are able to recall the different ways we can partition (break apart) numbers from 1–10. You can help them learn by playing Number Facts Pairs together!

• Write out the numbers 1 to 10 two times, making 20 separate number cards.
• Turn the cards face down and pick one at random. This is the number you are going to try to make.
• Now, take it in turns to pick up cards. Add each card you pick up together until you get to the target number. If you go too high, you can use your turn to put back one of the cards you have picked up, face down.
• When a player reaches the target number, they win!

There are lots of fun variations of the game you could try. Why not add in higher numbers, or see how many targets you can reach within two minutes?

2. Focus on subtraction

Your child will be expected to know subtraction facts up to 10. They will begin by subtracting one from a set of objects and noticing that the set has decreased in size. Encourage your child to relate subtraction to taking away by showing them how it works in everyday situations.

For example, if your child has a handful of raisins, ask them how many they have. When they have eaten one, ask them how many they now have left. Do they have more raisins or fewer raisins? What happens if you eat two raisins at the same time? Using real objects or drawings and removing the ones that you want to subtract helps your child to visualise what subtracting really means.

3. Play dice games

There are lots of ways you can encourage your child to solve addition and subtraction problems practically – all you need are two dice.

In school, they will be taught that addition is when we add two groups of objects together or when we have an amount to start with and then add more to it, making the total increase. You could play a game where each player rolls two dice and has to find the total. The winner is the player who has the largest total.

You could use similar games for subtraction. For example:

Start with a given number of objects, say 12. Then, take it in turns to roll a six-sided die.   The first player to roll subtracts the number shown on the die from the 12 objects and works out how many they have left. They take away the objects they have subtracted.   The next player will then roll the die, and takes away their number from the remaining pile of objects. Play continues until all objects are removed. The player with the most objects at the end of the game is the winner.   You could ask the child to record a calculation for each roll of the die, such as 12 – 3 = 9.

Finally, why not play board games with two dice? These offer a great opportunity to practise number bonds, as well as teaching other useful skills like counting and waiting for their turn.

Activity: Add with dice

4. Focus on counting on

Help your child practise addition by combining two or more sets of objects. For example, if you have 4 grapes and your child has 7 grapes, ask them to find out how many grapes there are in total. Your child may count each grape one at a time to find the total amount.

To ensure that they count each grape accurately, it might be a good idea to ask your child to place the grapes in a row. Your child may be able to begin solving addition by ‘counting on’. In this method, the child could start with the 4 grapes and then count on 7 more to find the total, i.e. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. You could then support your child to record what they have done using symbols, i.e. 4 + 7 = 11.

If your child likes collecting stickers, ask them how many they have already. Then ask them how many they would have if you gave them 2 more. This will encourage them to begin ‘counting on’ from the original amount to solve the addition problem, which is much quicker than counting every sticker!

5. Subtraction as difference

Your child is likely to be taught about subtraction as ‘difference’. For example:

’10 – 8′ can also be thought of as ‘What is the difference between 10 and 8?’

Use objects to help your child understand the concept of difference. Why not ask your child to sort their toys into groups, and then see if they can figure out which groups have more or fewer objects? You could then ask them to compare two of the groups.

What is the difference between your child’s number of fluffy toys and their number of hard toys? What about the difference between their red toys and their blue toys? Putting the two groups next to each other in a line is a good way to quickly spot the difference between them.

Encourage your child to record their thinking as a subtraction calculation. For example:

If they have 6 red toys and 2 blue toys, then the difference is 4. This can be written as 6 – 2 = 4.

Video: Early maths skills: subtraction

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Year 1 Maths Worksheets UK Hub Page

Welcome to our Year 1 Maths Worksheets hub page.

In our Year 1 area, you will find a wide range of free Year 1 Maths Activities and worksheets for your child to enjoy.

Take a look at our addition coloring pages, or maybe some of our shape worksheets. Perhaps you would prefer our kindergarten counting games, or our counting worksheets?

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• This page contains links to other Math webpages where you will find a range of activities and resources.
• If you can't find what you are looking for, try searching the site using the Google search box at the top of each page.

Year 1 Maths Learning

Here are some of the key learning objectives for the end of Year 1:

• count to 100 forwards and backwards in ones
• read and write numbers to 100 in numerals
• find one more or one less
• compare numbers up to 100
• use ordinal numbers 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ...
• place missing numbers on a number line
• add and subtract single-digit numbers up to 10
• use number bonds and related subtraction facts within 10
• solve simple 1-step problems involving addition and subtraction to 10
• count in 10s
• add equal groups
• make arrays
• make equal groups by grouping and sharing
• recognise and find a half of shapes and sets of objects up to 20
• recognise and find a quarter of shapes and sets of objects up to 20
• measure and compare lengths
• measure and compare mass and capacity
• recognise coins and notes
• count coins in groups: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p
• use language 'before' and 'after'
• learn days of the week and months of the year
• tell the time: o'clock and half-past
• compare times
• recognise and name 2D and 3D shapes
• describe position and turns

Please note:

Our site is mainly based around the US Elementary school math standards.

Though the links on this page are all designed primarily for students in the US, but they are also at the correct level and standard for UK students.

The main issue is that some of the spelling is different and this site uses US spelling.

Year 1 is generally equivalent to Kindergarten in the US.

On this page you will find link to our range of Year 1 maths worksheets.

Quicklinks to our resources ...

• Place Value Zone

Operations Zone

Geometry zone.

• Measurement Zone
• Fun Zone: games,dot-to-dot & coloring
• Year 1 Printables

Coronavirus Stay At Home Support

For those parents who have found themselves unexpectedly at home with the kids and need some emergency activities for them to do, we have started to develop some Maths Grab Packs for kids in the UK.

Each pack consists of at least 10 mixed math worksheets on a variety of topics to help you keep you child occupied and learning.

The idea behind them is that they can be used out-of-the-box for some quick maths activities for your child.

They are completely FREE - take a look!

• Free Maths Grabs Packs

Place Value, Counting & Number Sense Zone

Writing numbers.

These sheets will help your child learn to write and form the numbers from 1 to 20 correctly.

There is also a counting challenge on each sheet which involve shading the correct number of objects.

• Writing numbers 1 to 10
• Writing numbers 11 to 20

Count and Write Numbers to 10

The sheets here are counting sheets which involve counting animals and vehicles up to 10.

There is a selection of reference sheets for using in the classroom, or sending home to parents.

There are also some color-in sheets for counting and coloring up to 10 animals or vehicles.

These sheets are a perfect way to start kindergarten kids off with their learning.

• Numbers to 10 Counting and Coloring

Year 1 Counting Objects Worksheets

• Math Worksheets Kindergarten - Matching to 10
• Counting to 10 Worksheets
• Counting to 20 Worksheets
• Kindergarten Counting to 25
• Printable Counting Worksheets to 50
• Count to 100 by Ones
• Ordinal Number Worksheets

This page is all about ordinal numbers: first, second, third, etc.

There are a range of worksheets to help your child understanding how to use ordinal numbers.

Dot-to-Dot Worksheets

Here you will find a range of Kindergarten Dot-to-Dot Worksheets.

Using these sheets will help your child to:

• read numbers up to 60;
• count up to 60.
• Dot to Dot up to 10
• Dot to Dot up to 20
• Dot to Dot up to 30
• Dot to Dot up to 50
• Hard dot to dot 50+

Counting One More & One Less Worksheets

After your child has learnt to count objects up to 10 and write their numbers, they are ready to start counting one more and one less.

Most of the sheets focus on counting up to 10. There are also some worksheets that go up to 25.

• Counting One More Worksheets
• Counting One Less Worksheets

Year 1 Comparing Worksheets

These year 1 maths worksheets will help your child to compare and start to order different things.

• understand the concept of most, least, biggest, smallest;
• count up to 10 objects;
• compare a range of different objects;
• compare numbers up to 20.
• Comparing size and numbers up to 6
• Comparing Numbers Worksheets to 10

Year 1 Sequencing Worksheets

These year 1 maths worksheets will help your child learn to count on and back in ones, and put numbers up to 25 in the correct place in their sequence.

Useing these sheets will help you child to:

• recognise number, letter and picture patterns;
• count on and back in ones to 25;
• sequence numbers to 25.
• Patterns and Sequences
• Kindergarten Counting Worksheets - Sequences to 15
• Kindergarten Counting Worksheets -Sequencing to 25

Year 1 Number Worksheets

The following worksheets involve different Kindergarten Math activities such as counting, coloring and learning to write numbers.

• read and write numbers up to 25;
• compare numbers to 10.
• Kindergarten Number Worksheets
• Hundred Number Charts (100 Squares)

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Year 1 Addition and Subtraction Worksheetss

Here you will find a range of Kindergarten Addition and Subtraction Worksheets.

The following worksheets involve adding and subtracting to 10.

• Addition Sentences to 10
• Addition Math Worksheets to 10
• Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheets (easier)
• Subtraction to 10 Worksheets (harder)
• Addition Subtraction to 5
• Addition Subtraction to 10 Coloring Sheets
• Addition and Subtraction Worksheets to 10

Kindergarten Shape Worksheets

These kindergarten math worksheets explore squares, rectangles, circles and triangles, and also matching identical shapes.

There are also some shape tracing worksheets to help your child learn to name 2d shapes and practice tracing them to improved their fine motor skills.

• Free Shape Worksheets Kindergarten
• Shape Tracing Worksheets

Measurement Zone, including Money

Year 1 measuring length sheets.

The Year 1 maths worksheets on this webpage are all about measuring length in inches and centimeters.

There are two different easy activities. The first activity is to write down the number on the ruler pointed to by an arrow. The second activity involves writing down the correct measurement for the length of a line - a ruler has been correctly positioned underneath.

• Measuring Length Worksheets for Kindergarten

Kindergarten Money Worksheets - Recognising coins

These Year 1 maths worksheets are all about recognising and counting coins: 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p.

• Free Counting Money Worksheets UK Coins

Year 1 Count and Graph Worksheets

These sheets involve counting the number of a given object and shading in a square for each one.

Count and graphing is great for developing systematic recording and also for recording data in a bar chart.

• Count and Graph Worksheets

Fun Zone: Puzzles, Games and Riddles

Year 1 counting games.

Here you will find a range of free printable Year 1 Math games to help your child with learning to count.

• Kindergarten Counting Games

Fun Year 1 Maths Activities

The activities include dot-to-dot and coloring pages. The activities have been designed to keep your child motivated and engaged whilst learning their Math facts at the same time.

• count up to 25;
• understand place value to 25.
• Kindergarten Math Activities
• Math Coloring Pages

Year 1 Math Printables

The resources on this page have all been specially designed for Kindergarten kids to use as visual aids or table top support pages.

There are a wide variety of printables including number lines, number squares and math mats.

• Kindergarten Maths Printables

Other UK Maths Worksheet pages

See below for our other maths worksheets hub pages designed for children in the UK.

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Addition and Subtraction Word Problems- Year 1- DIFFERENTIATED

Subject: Mathematics

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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Reasoning/Problem Solving Maths Worksheets for Year 1 (age 5-6)

Reasoning about number, sorting and counting.

To build on the work done in Early Years children need to sort groups in various ways before counting the objects within the groups.

Counting a variety of things.

Sorting and counting activities.

Sorting and counting activities (3)

How many flowers, balls etc can you see in the picture?

How many boats, trains, bikes and buses can you see in the picture?

Looking for similarities in groups of sorted objects.

Explaining the criteria for sorting into groups - there may be more than one possible answer.

Guess how many objects and then count to see how accurate you are!

Sorting a variety of fruit into groups.

Sorting a variety of objects into groups.

Explaining answers: counting forwards and backwards.

Making number sentences and using number cards

Children will be asked to find different ways of making numbers using addition and subtraction. Number cards are an excellent resource in the classroom for this type of activity.

Use number cards to find different ways of making 3.

How many ways can you make 4 using the cards shown?

How many ways can you make 5 using the numbers and signs?

Use number cards to find different ways of making 6.

How many ways can you make 8 using the numbers on the cards?

How many ways can you add 2 numbers to make 7?

Use cards to make numbers.

Use cards to make numbers, including zero.

Reasoning about money

Using coins is a great way to explore different ways of making amounts. The later pages on shopping require logical thinking and children should be able to explain verbally or on paper how they reached their answers.

How many ways can you pay 8p?

What coins could you use to buy the ragdoll?

What shapes can you buy for 10p? Costs according to the number of sides the shape has.

Solving 2-step problems with money up to 10p.

2-step money problems.

More shopping: 2-step problems with whole pounds.

Simple reasoning with small amounts of money.

Reasoning skills with small amounts of money.

Reasoning about addition and subtraction

Plenty of opportunity to select numbers and add and subtract to reach totals. Finding all the possible combinations can be an important part of these activities.

Sharks know that there's more than one way to catch a fish. And there's usually lots of ways to make a total by adding two numbers.

'How many ways?' investigation using 7, 8 and 9.

How many different answers can you get?

Three darts to score on the board. Good adding up revision.

A little age problem.

Make subtraction sentences using the numbers around the hexagon.

Put the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 onto the grid so that both lines add up to the same total. How many ways?

Can you put the numbers in the circles so that each side of the triangle adds up to 9?

Pick three numbers from those shown and add them. How many different additions can you find?

A first look at word problems needing addition or subtraction to solve.

More problem solving where addition or subtraction is needed.

Completing missing symbols in number sentences.

Completing number sentences using more and less than.

Completing simple number patterns.

More reasoning activities

More activities to challenge children’s reasoning and logical thinking. Plenty of, 'How many ways ....' activities.

Find how many cubes can be held in one hand and record data collected in a table.

How many different ways can the ice lolly be coloured, using just two colours?

How many different ways can you put the cubes in the boxes?

How many rectangles can be made?

How many ways can the 9 tiles be put together to make a square?

How many ways can I join 4 triangles to make other shapes?

Make four 2-digit numbers from just two 1-digit numbers.

Put the numbers into the grid so that there is always a difference of more than one.

Find and describe routes to the bus stop.

How many numbers can you make with 6 beads on the abacus?

How many different routes are there from head to tail? Great logical thinking challenge.

Fun counting challenge which encourages logical thinking.

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