Free Year 1 Maths Worksheets | Maths Blog

Count back in threes

Counting is one of those activities that it is all to easy to assume that children can do. In fact there are many children in Primary Schools who are very shaky in their knowledge of numbers and counting in ones, forwards or backwards. Yet one of the targets for Year 1 is for children to count on and back in twos and threes. This page is a help towards achieving this as it looks at counting back from a 2-digit number in threes. Starting at 43 count back 1, 2, 3 and reach 40; colour the square and count back a further three and so on. When the end of the line has been reached get children to read the numbers which have been coloured, both forwards and backwards. predictions could also be made as to which number comes next.

A blank sheet has been provided at the end of these pages so that different starting numbers can be used, or children asked to fill in the numbers themselves.

This page can be found in our Year 1 Counting category.

Count down in threes

Year 1 maths worksheet: solve simple word problems

One of the targets for Year 1 children is to solve simple word problems. Of course this can be very tricky for children who have yet to develop sufficient reading skills to work out what questions are being asked! Because of this many children will need help with either reading the questions of having the questions read to them.

This page also gives visual clues and again, practical apparatus such as real sweets or socks can be a great help before moving on to just having the written question.

Addition and subtraction are the two operations used here.

Solve simple word problems

Understanding multiplication in year 1

At one time multiplication was not really introduced until year 2, but recent curriculum planning has included understanding multiplication into year 1, so here is a couple of pages to try to help with this.

At first multiplication can be seen as repeated addition so that:

2 added together 3 times is 2 + 2 + 2, or 3 lots of 2, or 3 times 2, or 3 x 2 (or 2 x 3).

The multiplication sign needs to be introduced, including using the words ‘times’, ‘multiply’ and ‘lots of’.

The second of the pages is quite a bit harder as there are no illustrations and various parts of the number sentences are missing. it would be a good idea to ‘talk through’ each number sentence, saying them out loud.

Understand the multiplication sign

Counting in Year 1

It is often assumed that children in year 1 are capable at counting, but this is frequently not the case and they need plenty of practice reciting the number names and counting on and back.

Of course number rhymes such as ‘One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish alive’ will help with this.

There are plenty of occasions when counting can be done in a practical situation, such as counting out knives and forks, counting objects, recounting them if they have been rearranged etc.

This worksheet looks at counting sets of objects with numbers up to 20. They balls etc have been arranged so that they do not line up neatly, which makes it harder for them to be counted.

Count up to 20 (2)

Resource of the week: change from ten pence

Using coins is a vital part of understanding number as it provides concrete examples of numbers in action. It is a really good idea to have a set of coins that can be counted out and swapped e.g. 5 one pence coins exchanged for a 5p piece etc. Why not set up a little shop at home and take turns buying and selling items? There is an amazing amount of maths involved in this, from learning how to write numbers to counting on and back and finding two or three lots of a number. If a shop is not available why not try this page?

Thanks to urbrainy.com for this money worksheet, suitable for year 1 children.

The worksheet asks for the change needed after spending various amounts. The easiest way to work out change is to start with the amount spent and count on up to 10. Eventually it is expected that children will know, off by heart’ the answers. In other words they will know, without counting that if you spend 6p you will have 4p change.

Change from 10p

Year 1 maths worksheet: Christmas halving

From time to time it’s nice to have a topical maths worksheet and here is one for year 1 at Christmas time.

The ability to double and halve numbers quickly is a great strategy to have at your fingertips as it can help later with all sorts of calculations. Here we have a year 1 page which looks at halving small even numbers. The theme is Christmas and there is lot’s of drawing! You might like to give a separate piece of paper so that the drawings can be done larger than on the sheet; or it could be very useful as a whiteboard activity.

Whilst I do not have a great many Christmas pages or a separate category for this I do know that urbrainy have an increasing number of them for the whole primary age range. A small selection are available absolutely free at:

http://pages.urbrainy.com/happy-christmas-2011

Halving small numbers (Christmas)

Year 1 addition game

Early years teachers are great at coming up with resources to help with addition, without them just being rows of sums. The teacher writers at urbrainy.com have come up with some excellent resources for year 1, including this great little board game for two people which involves both using a strategy and knowing addition facts. It is best played with one adult and one child, but beware you may lose! You will need 2 dice, 2 sets of 5 different coloured counters or cubes plus a calculator and the games sheet.

Decide who is to go first.Player one goes first and rolls the two dice. Add up the total and place a counter on a square showing that number. If the number has already been covered it becomes the next players go. Then player 2 has their turn. Some numbers, such as 7, come up on the grid several times (as there is a greater chance of throwing a 7 than any other total) so it is important to think about which 7 the counter is placed on.

The winner is the first person to put three counters in a row, across, down or diagonally. Sometimes it is more important to block the opponent than to try to create your own 3 in a row.

This game can be found in our Year 1 Calculating category

Dice: 3 in a row addition game

Year 1 money worksheets

Children in Year 1 need plenty of practice with counting coins and adding up totals. There are several worksheets in the Year 1 calculating section which are ideal for this.

One shows mixed amounts of coins yo to 10p pieces to count.

The second looks at how much change should be given from 10p when spending small amounts of money.

The third is a more general mini-investigation whicjh looks at how many different ways an 8p yoyo can be bought using a selection of 1p and 2p coins.

Go to Year 1 calculating money worksheets

Year 1 maths resources

All the maths worksheets for Year 1 are to be found by clicking on the Free Maths Worksheets link at the top of the page. The worksheets have been organised into categories following the guidelines of the primary Framework for Mathematics, although this is now under review.

The categories are:

Counting and Number: looking at counting small numbers in steps of one and writing numbers.

Know number facts: counting on and back in twos and knowing addition facts to 5.

Calculating: including adding small numbers, taking away and an introduction to money

Understanding shape: at this stage recognising triangles, rectangles and squares as well as introducing some 3D shapes

Measuring: using non standard measures and comparing

Handling Data: mainly making lists

Using and Applying Maths: making number stories and investigating.

Whilst there is a considerable amount here it is next to nothing compared to the URBrainy site which is the best that I have found online, with over 1700 colourful pages of maths for Year 1, including full answers.

Go to our Year 1 maths resources

Year 1 maths vocabulary

If a child does not respond to a mathematical question it may be because they do not understand the words or instructions used. Another difficulty can arise when a mathematical term has a different meaning in everyday English eg ‘table’.

In the Year 1 maths category there is an excellent list of the vocabulary children need to understand and use in year 1. For example, the following list has the new words that they should come across in school during year 1 to do with calculating and solving problems.

Words to do with calculating and solving problems:

plus near double

how much more is…? how much less is…?

subtract minus

half halve

equals sign

number sentence

operation

There are similar lists for calculating, measures and position. These words can be printed larger so that they can be used as ‘flash cards’ or displayed on the wall.

Go to the Year 1 vocabulary lists.