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Fact Families Resources

18 fact families resources: 11 worksheets, 4 activities, 3 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Fact Families Resources

18 fact families resources: 11 worksheets, 4 activities, 3 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeCompleting Fact Families Worksheet

This completing fact families worksheet gives 1st graders six number houses to fill in—writing two addition and two subtraction facts for each set of numbers. Answer key included for fast, no-prep math practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeFact Family Worksheet

This fact family worksheet gives 2nd graders three number bonds and twelve addition and subtraction facts to write. An answer key is included, so it is ready for no-prep math practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeMultiplication Division Fact Families Worksheet

This multiplication division fact families worksheet has 3rd graders write two multiplication and two division facts for four number families, plus a word problem. An answer key is included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenSubtraction as an Unknown Addend Activity

This subtraction as an unknown addend activity helps K through 2nd grade students solve subtraction within 20 by matching each fact to its addition fact card. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeThanksgiving Fact Families Worksheet

This Thanksgiving fact families worksheet gives 1st grade students practice with addition and subtraction within 20. An answer key is included, so a holiday math review takes almost no prep.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeMath Graphic Organizer

This math graphic organizer worksheet helps 3rd graders map the three numbers of a fact family into all four multiplication and division sentences. Answer key included, so fact fluency practice takes no prep at all.

Activity
Activity1st GradeAdding and Subtracting Unknown Numbers Activity

Find the missing number in equations within 20 with this adding and subtracting unknown numbers activity for 1st and 2nd grade: matching cards, a recording sheet and practice, answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeFact Families Worksheet

This fact families worksheet has 1st graders write twelve column addition and subtraction facts from three number families within 20. An answer key is included for quick, no-prep checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st Grade1.OA.4 Common Core Worksheet

This 1.OA.4 common core worksheet gives 1st grade students three fact families and the four related addition and subtraction facts in each, plus an answer key, so subtraction starts to feel like addition read backwards.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson1st Grade1.OA.4 First Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 1.OA.4 First Grade Common Core Lesson, students practice finding the missing added using subtraction as strategy to solve.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeChristmas Math Fact Families Worksheet

This christmas math fact families worksheet gives 1st Grade students three number triangles and twelve facts to write. An answer key is included, so holiday fact practice needs no prep.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd Grade3.OA.7 Common Core Worksheet

This 3.OA.7 Common Core Worksheet gives 3rd graders four fact families to complete plus a market word problem. An answer key is included, so multiplication and division fluency practice needs no prep.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson1st Grade1.OA.1 First Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 1.OA.1 First Grade Common Core Lesson, students find the missing addends in equations up to 20.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenSubtraction With 6-7-8-9 Differences Activity

This subtraction with 6-7-8-9 differences activity is a snowy card sort for kindergarten and 1st grade students. Solve each fact, sort it under its snowflake, and check with the answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeValentine's Day Fact Families Worksheet

The Valentine's Day Fact Families Worksheet gives 2nd grade students three number triangles with a missing number and four facts to finish, building addition and subtraction fluency together. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSt. Patrick's Day Fact Families Worksheet

This St. Patrick's Day Fact Families Worksheet gives 1st grade students three triangles with a missing number and room to write all four related facts. An answer key is included, so it is ready to print and go.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenSubtraction With 2-3-4-5 Differences Activity

This subtraction with 2-3-4-5 differences activity is a winter card sort for kindergarten and 1st grade. Children solve facts within 10, sort each card under its snowflake, and check with the answer key included.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson1st Grade1.OA.8 First Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 1.OA.8 First Grade Common Core Lesson, students find the unknown whole number in addition equations up to 20.

From our teachers' playbook

Three numbers, four facts

What do kids learn about fact families?

A fact family is a group of related facts that use the same three numbers. With 3, 5 and 8, kids write 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 3 = 8, 8 − 5 = 3, 8 − 3 = 5. First and 2nd graders use fact families to see that subtraction is just addition in reverse, so if you know 6 + 7 = 13, you also know 13 minus 7. In 3rd grade the same idea connects multiplication and division: 4 × 6 = 24 means 24 ÷ 6 = 4. Fact families cut the number of facts kids need to memorize in half.

How we teach fact families

Fact families are all about connections. These moves help kids see how the facts fit together.

The fact family house

Draw a house with the three numbers in the roof and four windows for the facts. Kids fill in each window, starting with the two addition facts. The house shape makes it clear that all four facts belong together.

Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).

Fact Family WorksheetTry it withFact Family WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Explain the connection

Ask "If you know 9 + 4 = 13, what else do you know?" and let kids explain to a partner. Hearing classmates say "it is the same numbers, just backwards" helps everyone see the link between adding and subtracting.

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

Subtraction as an Unknown Addend ActivityTry it withSubtraction as an Unknown Addend ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Build it with cubes

Snap together a train of 5 red and 3 blue cubes. Kids say the addition facts, then break off the blues and the reds to show the subtraction facts. Moving real cubes makes each fact visible.

Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.

Completing Fact Families WorksheetTry it withCompleting Fact Families WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Fact family questions

What is a fact family in math?

A fact family is a set of related math facts that use the same three numbers. For example, 2, 6 and 8 make 2 + 6 = 8, 6 + 2 = 8, 8 - 6 = 2 and 8 - 2 = 6.

What grade learns fact families?

Addition and subtraction fact families are usually taught in 1st and 2nd grade. Multiplication and division fact families come in 3rd grade.

Why are fact families important?

They show how addition and subtraction, or multiplication and division, are connected. Knowing one fact helps kids figure out the others quickly.

Do all fact families have four facts?

Most do, but doubles have only two. For example, 5, 5 and 10 make 5 + 5 = 10 and 10 - 5 = 5.

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