Little Math Stories Addition and Subtraction Worksheet

Kids can freeze when a math problem is wrapped in words. This first-grade printable keeps the stories short and concrete: rabbits hop in, flowers are taken out, and frogs jump over. The child reads each little story, decides whether the action means addition or subtraction, and writes how many are there now or how many are left.

It fits a 7-year-old who can count up to about 20 and is starting to connect story language with equations. If reading the sentences takes all their energy, you can read them aloud. They still do the math thinking: 3 and 10 rabbits, 19 take away 9 flowers, and 2 and 13 frogs.

The practice works best when it stays hands-on. Have your child point to the starting number, point to the change, and say what happened before writing the answer. Buttons, cereal pieces, or fingers can stand in for the animals and flowers. The important move is noticing more means the group grows, while left after taking out means the group gets smaller.

After the three stories, ask which answer is largest or smallest and why. For a next step, try comparing first-grade numbers so the totals can be ordered, or use more number comparison practice when your child is ready to look at greater and lesser amounts without a story context.