Skip to content
Start My 3 Free Days $0 today · cancel anytime

1st Grade Word Problems Worksheets

25 1st grade word problems worksheets. Teacher favorites: Adding Word Problems with 3 Numbers Worksheet and Word Problems Adding 3 Numbers Worksheet. How teachers use these

1st Grade Word Problems Worksheets

25 1st grade word problems worksheets. Teacher favorites: Adding Word Problems with 3 Numbers Worksheet and Word Problems Adding 3 Numbers Worksheet. How teachers use these

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding Word Problems with 3 Numbers Worksheet

This Adding Word Problems with 3 Numbers Worksheet helps 1st graders add three single-digit numbers using fun story problems about ducks, apples, and more. Includes a complete answer key for quick, no-prep addition practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeWord Problems Adding 3 Numbers Worksheet

This Word Problems Adding 3 Numbers Worksheet gives 1st graders five short stories to solve by writing and adding a three-number equation. Answer key included, so practice with sums to 20 stays quick and stress-free.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeWord Problem Practice Worksheet

This word problem practice worksheet gives 1st graders five real-life addition and subtraction problems to solve within 20. An answer key is included, so checking work takes seconds.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeBasic Word Problems Worksheet

A basic word problems worksheet for 1st Grade, with four illustrated stories that ask children to add or subtract within 20 and write the answer with its unit. Answer key included for fast, no-prep problem-solving practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSubtraction Word Problem Worksheet

This Subtraction Word Problem Worksheet gives 1st Grade students four story problems within 20 to draw and solve, with an answer key included, so subtraction finally feels like something they can see.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeWriting Subtraction Sentences Worksheets

These Writing Subtraction Sentences Worksheets give 1st Grade students four story problems to turn into number sentences, with a full answer key included, so word problems stop feeling like a guessing game.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSolve Word Problems Worksheet

This Solve Word Problems Worksheet gives 1st Grade students five short addition and subtraction stories to read and solve within twenty, with an answer key included so children can check every answer themselves.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAddition Single Digit Word Problems Worksheet

This Addition Single Digit Word Problems Worksheet asks 1st Grade students to model each story with a drawing and write the sum, so adding within ten finally clicks. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeBalance Worksheet

This balance worksheet has 1st graders add the weights on level scales to find each missing number, plus a pumpkin word problem. An answer key is included, so addition practice is quick and easy.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAddition Problem Solving Addends to 40 Worksheet

This Addition Problem Solving Addends to 40 Worksheet gives 1st graders five short math stories to solve by adding tens and ones. An answer key is included, so checking work is quick and easy.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAddends to 20 Addition Problem Solving Worksheet

This Addends to 20 Addition Problem Solving Worksheet gives 1st Grade students five three-addend word problems with sums inside twenty, plus an answer key, so adding grows into confident problem solving.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding Word Problems Worksheet

This adding word problems worksheet gives 1st Grade students five short addition stories with sums to 20, a number sentence for each one, and an answer key, so they practice turning words into math with confidence.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSubtracting Word Problems Worksheet

This Subtracting Word Problems Worksheet asks 1st graders to read three take-away stories, write the matching number sentence, then cross out counters to check their thinking. Answer key included for quick, confident subtraction practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAddition Word Problems Worksheet

This addition word problems worksheet has 1st graders draw each story and write a number sentence with sums to 20. An answer key is included, so practice is easy to check.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding 3 Word Problems Worksheet

This adding 3 word problems worksheet gives 1st Grade students five short stories with matching number sentences and an answer key, so counting on three becomes quick and easy.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding 10 Word Problems Worksheet

This adding 10 word problems worksheet gives 1st Grade students five short addition stories with matching number sentences and an answer key, building fast, confident plus-ten thinking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAddends to 9 Problem Solving Worksheet

Use this Addends to 9 Problem Solving Worksheet so first graders can solve five short math stories by adding two numbers up to 9. An answer key is included for fast, easy checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding 8 Word Problems Worksheet

This adding 8 word problems worksheet gives 1st graders five short stories to solve by adding 8. Each story has a number sentence to finish, and an answer key is included for fast checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding 7 Word Problems Worksheet

Our adding 7 word problems worksheet gives 1st grade students five short stories to solve by adding seven more, with an answer key included for fast, easy checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAdding 6 Word Problems Worksheet

This adding 6 word problems worksheet gives 1st Grade students five short stories with matching number sentences and an answer key, so plus-six facts become quick and confident.

From our teachers' playbook

Read it, picture it, solve it!

What do 1st graders learn about word problems?

First graders solve addition and subtraction word problems within 20. They learn to figure out what's happening in the story: are things joining, leaving or being compared? They use objects, drawings and number sentences like 8 + 5 = 13 to show their thinking, and some problems add three numbers. The click moment comes when a child reads "5 birds flew away" and knows that means subtract without anyone telling them.

Our favorite ways to make word problems stick

Word problems are reading and math together. These moves help first graders make sense of the story first.

Tell the story back

Before solving, have partners retell the problem in their own words: "There were some apples, then more came." Then ask, "Will the number get bigger or smaller?" Talking it through stops kids from grabbing random numbers.

Why it works: using clear, consistent math words out loud is one of the U.S. Department of Education's recommendations for elementary math.

Basic Word Problems WorksheetTry it withBasic Word Problems WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Act it out with counters

Use cubes or farm animal counters to act out each problem on a story mat. Kids move the pieces as you read. Seeing the action makes it clear whether to add or take away.

Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.

Barnyard Math Word Problems ActivityTry it withBarnyard Math Word Problems ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Draw it before you solve it

Have kids draw a quick sketch, like circles for cookies with X marks for ones eaten. Then they write the number sentence. Drawings bridge the gap between the story and the math.

Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).

Subtraction Word Problem WorksheetTry it withSubtraction Word Problem WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions teachers and parents ask

What kind of word problems do 1st graders solve?

They solve addition and subtraction problems within 20, including adding to, taking from, putting together, comparing, and adding three numbers.

How do I teach word problems to 1st graders?

Read the problem together, act it out or draw it, and then write a number sentence. Asking "What's happening in the story?" before solving helps kids pick the right operation.

Should 1st graders use key words for word problems?

Key words like "in all" can help, but they sometimes mislead. Teaching kids to picture the story works better and builds real understanding.

How can I practice word problems at home?

Make up quick problems with snacks, toys or family members: "You had 6 grapes and ate 2. How many now?" Let your child act it out with the real items.