Find the Missing Numbers Worksheet

First graders often know the count, then pause when a number is hidden in the middle. This printable gives them four short rows to complete, with number sequences such as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, plus simple addition and subtraction equations with one blank.

It fits a child who can count forward by ones, read numbers through 15, and has started seeing equations as number sentences. If counting a set still needs a warm-up, try the Count and Draw Circles Worksheet first, because drawing circles gives a concrete way to check a number before filling in blanks.

Each row asks the child to look at the numbers around the blanks and decide which number belongs. The equation beside it gives another kind of check, where a missing addend, difference, or starting number must make the whole addition or subtraction fact true. The number sense practice is simple and direct: count, compare, and make the fact work.

Sit nearby and ask, “What comes right before this number?” or “What number would make this equation true?” If the row with 11 through 15 feels tricky, the Tens and Ones Number Cards Worksheet is a helpful next step because it gives two-digit numbers a place-value anchor before larger missing-number work.