1st Grade · Math · Parent guide
Short answer. 1.OA.A.1 asks first graders to solve add and subtract story problems within 20, like 'Maya had 12 grapes and ate 5.' Here's what that looks like at home.
Quick answer
This standard says your first grader should solve story problems that use addition and subtraction with numbers up to 20. Not just 'what is 12 minus 5,' but 'Maya had 12 grapes, she ate some, and now she has 7. How many did she eat?' The missing number can sit anywhere in the story, which is the tricky part. Kids can use blocks, drawings, or a written equation with a blank or question mark standing in for the unknown.
Why parents see this skill
Word problems are where math stops being a worksheet trick and starts describing real life. A child who can pull the math out of a story in first grade has a much easier time with multi-step problems in second and third grade, where nobody hands you the equation anymore.
For reference
Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.Official Common Core source
See it, then try it
You do not need a lesson plan. Look for these signs in ordinary play, reading, and conversation, then choose one short activity.
At snack time, count out up to 20 crackers or grapes. Tell a quick story: 'You had 13, the dog stole some, now you have 9. How many did the dog get?' Let your child move the pieces to figure it out, then eat the answer. Two or three problems is plenty.
Put a handful of socks in a laundry basket and tell your child how many you started with, say 15. Pull a few out behind your back and show her what's left. Her job is to figure out how many are hiding. Have her draw it or write 15 - ? = 11 if she's ready.
Grab two mismatched piles, like 12 pennies for you and 8 for her. Ask 'How many more do I have?' Let her line the piles up side by side to see the difference instead of counting each pile from scratch. Swap piles and play again.
Choose what helps today
Start with the domain guide for context, use the learning library when a concept needs explaining, or print a page when your child is ready to practice.
See every 1.OA skill in order and how the codes fit together.
Open resourceFilter free pages by the exact math skill your child is practicing.
Open resourceA focused set for building addition and subtraction confidence.
Open resourceParent-friendly ideas for practicing early math in everyday routines.
Open resourceMy first grader can do 9 + 4 on paper but freezes on word problems. Is that normal?
Very normal, and it's the exact gap this standard targets. Story problems ask a child to translate words into math before doing any arithmetic, and that translation step takes practice. Act problems out with real objects for a few weeks. Once he can see the story, the equation usually follows.
What does 'unknowns in all positions' mean on my child's report card?
It means the missing number isn't always the answer at the end. In 5 + ? = 12, the unknown is in the middle; in ? - 4 = 9, it's at the start. Start-unknown problems are the hardest for most first graders, so if that's where your child struggles, she's in good company.
Keep the sequence
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