Primary Math: Concepts, Games and Practice Problems

What Concepts Are Taught in Primary Math?

In elementary school, students learn the basic math operations, like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They're also introduced to fractions and classifying shapes.

One of the most challenging parts of primary math is word problems because students must discover on their own which operation to use. Provide your child with word problems on a regular basis to help her prepare for standardized tests. Be sure to point out some strategies for solving word problems, such as underlining important numbers and crossing out irrelevant information.

Games for Practicing Primary Math Concepts

Some students may be bored by worksheets, so you can help your child practice by playing games. For instance, when your child is learning multiplication and division facts, help him review by using flashcards. Turn review into a game by having your child try to beat his answering time.

Alternatively, play a matching game. Write problems on some cards and answers on others. Flip them over and arrange them on a table. Then, have your child try to match the problem with its answer.

Practice Problems by Concept

Addition and Subtraction

1. Alice has a bouquet of 12 flowers and adds five more. How many flowers does Alice have in all?

Note that the phrase 'in all' here indicates that addition should be used. To solve, take the 12 flowers that Alice began with and add five: 12 + 5. She has 17 flowers total.

2. Harry has $100, but spent $51. How much money does he have left?

Subtract the amount that Harry spent from the amount that he began with: 100 - 51. He has $49 remaining.

Multiplication and Division

1. There are 12 doughnuts in each box. If Ben buys seven boxes of doughnuts, how many doughnuts will he have total?

To solve, multiply the number of boxes by the number of doughnuts inside the boxes: 12 x 7. Ben has 84 doughnuts.

2. There are 24 slices of pizza and six people who are hungry. How many slices can each person eat?

Each person can eat four slices of pizza because 24 ÷ 6 = 4.

Fractions

In a cookie jar, there are 15 cookies. Six are chocolate chip, two are sugar cookies and seven are snickerdoodles. Find the fractions of each type of cookie.

There are 15 cookies in all, so the denominator for all of the fractions is 15. Your child should have the following fractions: 6/15 of the cookies are chocolate chip, 2/15 are sugar cookies and 7/15 of the cookies are snickerdoodles.