Little Math Stories Addition and Subtraction Worksheet

First graders can know a math fact one minute and freeze when it is tucked inside a story. This page gives them three short math stories to work through, one about rabbits, one about apples, and one about frogs. They read or listen to each story, notice whether the group gets bigger or smaller, and answer the question at the end.

This is a good fit when a child can count to 20 and is beginning to connect story language with addition and subtraction. The rabbit story starts with 7 rabbits and adds 2 more. The apple story starts with 6 apples and takes away 2. The frog story starts with 10 frogs and adds 9 more. Those small scenes help the math feel concrete instead of floating on the page.

Sit nearby and ask, “What happens next?” before any counting begins. If the words say more rabbits hop in or more frogs jump over, the task is addition. If apples are taken away, the task is subtraction. Your child can use fingers, counters, or quick dots to act out the story, then write the answer after checking that it fits the question.

After this page, keep the same calm rhythm with another Little Math Stories addition and subtraction page for more word-problem practice. If the next need is making friendly totals, the make ten addition and subtraction worksheet gives focused practice with facts that use ten as a helpful stopping point.