Math Problems and Exercises for First Grade Students

What Concepts Are Covered in First Grade Math?

It's important to know what your child is learning is school so you can provide supplemental practice problems at the appropriate level of difficulty. In first grade, your child will mainly study addition and subtraction, typically involving numbers only up to 100.

If you feel your child needs more practice with addition and subtraction, you can create your own worksheets or use real-life situations. For instance, when shopping with your child, ask him or her to add up the price of your groceries. You can simplify complex numbers by rounding the prices; for example, if an item costs $4.25, have your child use $4 instead.

You also can use physical objects, like counters or pieces of candy, to help your child visualize addition and subtraction problems. Have your child physically move pieces to solve math problems.

You also may want to point out patterns and relationships between numbers. For example, you might note that when adding, the order of the numbers doesn't matter. Whether you add four to six (4 + 6) or six to four (6 + 4), both equal ten. However, when subtracting, the order does matter (the answer to 10 - 6 is much different than that to 6 - 10).

Students in first grade also learn to tell time and identify geometric shapes. You can practice telling time at home by declaring your child the official time teller; whenever someone wants to know the time, your child will give the answer. However, keep in mind that first graders generally only learn to tell time to the closest half hour. You also can practice early geometry by having your child identify shapes in the real world. For example, you might ask your child how many rectangles he can find in your kitchen, and then guide him to objects like cabinets, the refrigerator or rectangular floor tiles.

Grade 1 Exercises and Solutions by Concept

Addition

5 + 2

Using a counter, have your child begin with five counters and add two more. Then have him count the total. The answer is seven.

Subtraction

8 - 5

If your child is struggling with subtraction, explain that it's the opposite of addition and that he can check his answers using addition. For example, the answer here is three because 5 + 3 = 8.

Time

On a clock, the little hand is pointing to one and the big hand is pointing to six. What time is it?

The time is 1:30. Encourage your child to draw a picture or use a model of a clock to help him or her visualize the time.

Geometry

A shape has three sides and three points. What shape is this?

Students in first grade learn to distinguish between defining characteristics, like sides and points, and non-defining characteristics, like color. This shape is a triangle because it has three sides and three points.