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21 1st Grade Word Problems For Easy Math Skill Development

An important part of the curriculum, 1st grade word problems offer students an opportunity to apply the math concepts they have learned in class to everyday situations. 

Math class can be one of the most challenging subjects for children, so understanding and solving word problems about math in a practical way helps students practice math skills while applying different learning styles and understanding of math concepts in the real world. 

Table of Contents

Do 1st graders do word problems, best 1st grade word problem worksheets, how do you teach first grade word problems, about the author.

First grade students can do word problems by approaching them using what they already know: language skills like reading and listening, working together in teams, and manipulating objects to demonstrate and develop spatial sense. Word problems help students to understand the world around them, be able to solve real-world mathematical problems they can use in their everyday lives, and develop critical thinking skills, so it’s important to introduce word problems as early as 1st grade to help students think holistically about math.

In partnership with Teach Simple , whose marketplace is full of educational materials created by actual teachers (plus 50% of all revenues go to them), I have curated a list of 1st grade word problems on fantastic, interactive worksheets for teachers and parents to use to challenge students. They can be used in the classroom or at home . 

Children are often drawn to this kind of thinking, and there are lots of fun ways to make the experience playful and exciting for them. These worksheets and activities align with common core math standards for 1st grade, which include operations and algebraic thinking, numbers and operations, measurement and data, and geometry.  

Secret Word Problem Puzzles

These 5 sets of puzzles will help students add and subtract within word problems. Students solve the word puzzles and use their answers to figure out the code words. 

This bundle includes the secret code card, 8 word problems per set, response cards, and an answer key to check answers in 1 PDF file. 

Word Problems Solving Worksheet

With this worksheet, students can read the word problem and choose the correct operation to solve it. Simple yet effective, this printable sheet includes pictures and is available in 1 PDF file.  

Single Digit Addition Word Problem Activity

This printable worksheet has students solve single-digit addition word problems using colorful images and relatable situations. 

Math Strategy Cheat Sheet for Word Problems

This resource is a math strategy cheat sheet that students can utilize when solving word problems. When working on a problem, students can pull out this resource guide and determine which strategy will help them most. It includes 1 PDF with 2 ready-to-print pages.

Dental Math Word Problems Worksheet

This activity engages students by challenging them to solve word problems while learning all about the dentist! 

“ It’s Fall” Word Problems

These engaging math and literacy worksheet sets include word problems to be solved on a number line, as part-part-whole (number bonds), and in a drawing. This is an ebook download in PDF format.

Ocean Math Word Problems Activity

This activity engages students by asking them to solve word problems while learning about oceans. It contains 1 product file.  

Storytime Discoveries Math

The stories and activities in this book help make math fun through interesting folktales , poems, and original stories. Students learn about logical thinking, problem solving, and various mathematical concepts, such as measurement, shapes, telling time, addition, fractions, and map reading. 

”It’s Winter” Math Word Problems

When it’s cold outside, add some fun to your classroom with these engaging math problems. They have activities that can be used for morning work, homework, group work, or in learning centers. 

This product includes a word problem to be solved on a number line, as part-part-whole (number bonds), and in a drawing. 

Cut-and-Paste Math Word Problems

With this activity, students can practice word problems with cut-and-paste activities that provide hands-on practice for simple addition. Students read the problem, count out the amount they need, add them together, glue them onto their paper, then write their equation. 

2-Digit Addition, Subtraction, and Word Problems Workbook

This workbook provides practice for place value , two-digit addition and subtraction, odd and even numbers, and addition and subtraction word problems. It includes a 21-page printable packet with activities.

Frostyville Cinema Worksheets

These worksheets contain a variety of math skills that align with the curriculum. Students will work on reading a schedule and a menu, solving word problems, adding and subtracting money , and working on elapsed time. 

It has a fun wintertime theme and two different levels of problems, a color version, a black-and-white version, and the answer key.

Add and Subtract Word Problems Worksheet

This worksheet has add and subtract word problems ranging from 10 to 100.

10 Printable Word Problem Worksheets (Numbers 1–20)

This printable bundle has four word problems worksheets on addition, four on subtraction, and two worksheets on mixed operations.

Barnyard Math Word Problems

This activity engages students by asking them to solve word problems while learning about barnyard animals.

Harvest Theme Addition and Subtraction Word Problems

These materials are designed to be a follow-up activity after instruction on tens frame is presented. 

The word problems are presented on task cards. Students can answer the problems by using ten frames and apple-themed counters. Then, they can write their answers on a student recording sheet.

Math Word Problems Worksheet

These addition word problems include key words such as “in all,” “altogether,” “total number,” and “sum.” They have fun colorful pictures to make the problems interesting. These files are in a zipped folder with 8 sheets. 

First Grade Word Problems

This is a set of 30 math worksheets for first grade . They give students structured practice in solving addition and subtraction word problems, which involves both math and reading comprehension .

Addition Within 20 Word Problems Task Cards

These task cards each have an addition word problem with answers within 20. There are 20 cards, recording sheet, and answer key included.

Time Word Problems and Blank Clock Template

These printable worksheets are available in PDF format with 4 PDF worksheets with a blank template that includes analog clocks and empty boxes, to assist students practice giving varied times. Word problems are included in two worksheets for extra practice. Given certain time constraints, students must solve the problem and indicate when the event began and when it ends.

Multiplication for Primary Students

If you have any first graders that are ready to give multiplication a try, this resource contains 9 pages that will help your students understand multiplication.

The goal with 1st grade word problems is for students to develop skills like abstract and quantitative reasoning, applying mathematical tools they have already learned, and making sense of real-world mathematical scenarios. 

When teaching word problems to 1st grade students, we want to make sure we explain the problems clearly, note when students struggle with language comprehension (such as new vocabulary), and are available to provide support by talking out the problems with students. 

Here are some great tips for teaching word problems:

Tip 1: print them on good quality cardstock or laminate for durability and longevity, tip 2: print them on colored paper to engage students’, tip 3: remind students of different strategies they can use to solve word problems, tip 4: let students have access to the answer sheets once they have worked on the problem so they can self-correct, tip 5: have students work in groups, make the 1st grade word problems into a game, and get creative with your teaching style.

Jen Skolsky has a background in English, Psychology, and Creative Writing. She has taught for many years in international education, including ESL for all ages, middle school literature, speech and debate; high school AP Psychology, AP Language, AP Literature; university level Academic Writing, and Chinese Medicine Theory. She now works in marketing and book publishing.

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6 Tips for Teaching Math Problem-Solving Skills

Solving word problems is tougher than computing with numbers, but elementary teachers can guide students to do the deep thinking involved.

A growing concern with students is the ability to problem-solve, especially with complex, multistep problems. Data shows that students struggle more when solving word problems than they do with computation , and so problem-solving should be considered separately from computation. Why?

Consider this. When we’re on the way to a new destination and we plug in our location to a map on our phone, it tells us what lane to be in and takes us around any detours or collisions, sometimes even buzzing our watch to remind us to turn. When I experience this as a driver, I don’t have to do the thinking. I can think about what I’m going to cook for dinner, not paying much attention to my surroundings other than to follow those directions. If I were to be asked to go there again, I wouldn’t be able to remember, and I would again seek help.

If we can switch to giving students strategies that require them to think instead of giving them too much support throughout the journey to the answer, we may be able to give them the ability to learn the skills to read a map and have several ways to get there.

Here are six ways we can start letting students do this thinking so that they can go through rigorous problem-solving again and again, paving their own way to the solution. 

1. Link problem-solving to reading

When we can remind students that they already have many comprehension skills and strategies they can easily use in math problem-solving, it can ease the anxiety surrounding the math problem. For example, providing them with strategies to practice, such as visualizing, acting out the problem with math tools like counters or base 10 blocks, drawing a quick sketch of the problem, retelling the story in their own words, etc., can really help them to utilize the skills they already have to make the task less daunting.

We can break these skills into specific short lessons so students have a bank of strategies to try on their own. Here's an example of an anchor chart that they can use for visualizing . Breaking up comprehension into specific skills can increase student independence and help teachers to be much more targeted in their problem-solving instruction. This allows students to build confidence and break down the barriers between reading and math to see they already have so many strengths that are transferable to all problems.

2. Avoid boxing students into choosing a specific operation

It can be so tempting to tell students to look for certain words that might mean a certain operation. This might even be thoroughly successful in kindergarten and first grade, but just like when our map tells us where to go, that limits students from becoming deep thinkers. It also expires once they get into the upper grades, where those words could be in a problem multiple times, creating more confusion when students are trying to follow a rule that may not exist in every problem.

We can encourage a variety of ways to solve problems instead of choosing the operation first. In first grade, a problem might say, “Joceline has 13 stuffed animals and Jordan has 17. How many more does Jordan have?” Some students might choose to subtract, but a lot of students might just count to find the amount in between. If we tell them that “how many more” means to subtract, we’re taking the thinking out of the problem altogether, allowing them to go on autopilot without truly solving the problem or using their comprehension skills to visualize it. 

3. Revisit ‘representation’

The word “representation” can be misleading. It seems like something to do after the process of solving. When students think they have to go straight to solving, they may not realize that they need a step in between to be able to support their understanding of what’s actually happening in the problem first.

Using an anchor chart like one of these ( lower grade , upper grade ) can help students to choose a representation that most closely matches what they’re visualizing in their mind. Once they sketch it out, it can give them a clearer picture of different ways they could solve the problem.

Think about this problem: “Varush went on a trip with his family to his grandmother’s house. It was 710 miles away. On the way there, three people took turns driving. His mom drove 214 miles. His dad drove 358 miles. His older sister drove the rest. How many miles did his sister drive?”

If we were to show this student the anchor chart, they would probably choose a number line or a strip diagram to help them understand what’s happening.

If we tell students they must always draw base 10 blocks in a place value chart, that doesn’t necessarily match the concept of this problem. When we ask students to match our way of thinking, we rob them of critical thinking practice and sometimes confuse them in the process. 

4. Give time to process

Sometimes as educators, we can feel rushed to get to everyone and everything that’s required. When solving a complex problem, students need time to just sit with a problem and wrestle with it, maybe even leaving it and coming back to it after a period of time.

This might mean we need to give them fewer problems but go deeper with those problems we give them. We can also speed up processing time when we allow for collaboration and talk time with peers on problem-solving tasks. 

5. Ask questions that let Students do the thinking

Questions or prompts during problem-solving should be very open-ended to promote thinking. Telling a student to reread the problem or to think about what tools or resources would help them solve it is a way to get them to try something new but not take over their thinking.

These skills are also transferable across content, and students will be reminded, “Good readers and mathematicians reread.” 

6. Spiral concepts so students frequently use problem-solving skills

When students don’t have to switch gears in between concepts, they’re not truly using deep problem-solving skills. They already kind of know what operation it might be or that it’s something they have at the forefront of their mind from recent learning. Being intentional within their learning stations and assessments about having a variety of rigorous problem-solving skills will refine their critical thinking abilities while building more and more resilience throughout the school year as they retain content learning in the process. 

Problem-solving skills are so abstract, and it can be tough to pinpoint exactly what students need. Sometimes we have to go slow to go fast. Slowing down and helping students have tools when they get stuck and enabling them to be critical thinkers will prepare them for life and allow them multiple ways to get to their own destination.

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First Grade Math Problems – Story Problems

Welcome to the Breaking Down the Standards Series. Now that we have covered all things ADDITION & SUBTRACTION , this post will be a deep dive into first grade word problems. First grade problem solving will be one of the most challenging topics you’ll cover, so you’ll want to be aware of the Common Core / TEKs standards to help your students get the most out of your lessons.

1. First Grade Word Problems Standards:

To see the First Grade Problem Solving Standards for the Common Core and the TEKS, click the image above.

2. The Vertical Alignment for First Grade Problem Solving

Vertical Alignment for First Grade Word Problems is so important when planning your lessons. We need to examine not only the first grade standards, but also Kindergarten and 2nd grade standards as well. You need to know what your students should already know and also what they should know when their first grade year is over. Vertical alignment looks at the Kindergarten Standards as well as the Second Grade Standards and sets you and your students up for SUCCESS! Click the image above to see the Vertical Alignment.

Kindergarten: Can solve addition and subtraction word problems within 10 by using objects, drawings or number sentences to represent the problem.

1st Grade: Need to Learn: See #3 – The Breakdown

2nd Grade: (1.) Preparing to: Add/Subtract within 100, solve multi-step word problems within 1,000 using place value and algorithms. (2.) Generate problem situations when given an addition or subtraction number sentence of whole numbers within 1,000.

Need Second Grade Resources? Check these out from my friend Cynthia at My Kind of Teaching

3. The Breakdown: First Grade  Word Problems

When examining the standards to create the most productive and engaging lessons, keep your eye on the verbs . I’ve highlighted them in red. The verbs tell what your students will be doing to learn the standards.

When first graders leave first grade, they should be able to: (focus on the verbs in red)

• Solve Word Problems within 20 involving addition and subtraction with unknowns in all positions.
• Generate and S olve problems when given a number sentence involving addition and subtraction of numbers within 20.

First Grade Problem Solving Recommended Progression:

• Find the Sum (Friends of 10)
• Find the Sum (Within 10)
• Find the Sum (Within 20)
• Find the Missing Addend (Friends of 10)
• Find the Missing Addend (Within 10)
• Find the Missing Addend (Within 20)
• Find the Difference (Friends of 10)
• Find the Difference (Within 10)
• Find the Difference (Within 20)
• Comparing to find the Difference (How many more/fewer)
• Find the missing Subtrahend (Friends of 10) 10 – ___ = 6
• Find the Missing Subtrahend (Within 10) 9 – ___ = 5
• Find the Missing Subtrahend (Within 20) 16 – ___ – 10

Let’s Get Started

Word Problems   Manipulatives – The words “ Using  Objects “ is used over and over in the standards when the focus is on addition and subtraction. Make sure you have some kind of manipulatives for your student to use as they solve word problems. 

My Favorite Manipulatives: 

• Two Sided Counters
• Unifix Cubes
• Snap Cubes 
• 6 Colored Disks

2 Sided Counters, Snap Cubes and 6 Colored Counters are my favorites but use whatever you have.

Ahead of time, place 20 Snap Cubes or Two-Sided Counters in a baggie, ready to pass out to students. 

On a piece of chart paper, write out the following story problem. Leave room for pictorial model below.

Grace had 6 new pencils. Rex had 4 new pencils. How many new pencils did Grace and Rex have?  

Change the names to something familiar and meaningful to your students.

Read the chart altogether. Draw the pictures and create a number sentence to solve the problem. When complete, restate the question in the form of an answer.  

Example: Grace and Rex had 10 pencils altogether. This step should be done with each word problem. At this time, students should be asking themselves if the answer makes sense. This step should be done each time a child completes a word problem.

Mini Lesson Idea:

Use the progression from above and create a new chart with another word problem, getting progressively more difficult.

• Find the missing Subtrahend (Friends of 10)
• Find the Missing Subtrahend (Within 10)
• Find the Missing Subtrahend (Within 20)

First Grade Word Problem Discussion Points: Use these points each time you solve a word problem with your students.

• Read the problem altogether.
• Circle the important details that will assist with solving the problem.
• Underline or circle the question, so you can answer it later.
• Draw a pictorial model of what the word problem is saying. Use lines or dots for this.  You can also use blank ten frames. Otherwise, your math lesson will become a drawing exercise. Tell the students this and let them know that each line or dot represents the objects in the word problem.
• Ask the students if you will Add or Subtract. Then ask them how they know this.
• Solve the problem using addition or subtraction by creating a number sentence.
• Give the answer using a sentence that restates the question.
• Finally, ask if the answer makes sense.  

Word Problems Key Words

Some teachers like to expose their first grade students to Key Word for problem solving.  Sometimes this can cause difficulty if the student is unable to explain the “WHY” part.  Click the image below to grab the FREE Key Words Posters. As you come across these terms, ask your students what they think the terms mean. Then ask them WHY .

5.  First Grade Word Problems Practice

For your 1st graders to master the Common Core and TEKS Standards for problem solving , they will need practice for each step. This includes:

• Find the Sum
• Find the Difference
• Solve for the Missing Numbers in all Positions (Compare to find the Difference, Missing Addends & Subtrahends)

This can be done in a systematic way by using the editable template provided. Click the image below to grab the FREEBIE . To use it as a Google Slides resource, use as-is when you click the image. To use as a PowerPoint file, download the file from Google Drive and save it to your computer. You will most likely have to change the fonts to fit your needs.

6. First Grade Problem Solving Small Group Instruction: A Systematic Approach

Start with the least level of difficulty and move toward the greatest level of difficulty. This free resource has 12 1st Grade Word Problems that follow the progression above. It also includes an editable page so teachers can create their own word problem cards to use in their small group.  Click the image below to grab these FREEBIES

Grab the editable templates here.   To use that as a Google Slides resource, use as-is when you click the image. For PowerPoint: Download the PowerPoint file from Google Drive and edit in PowerPoint.

To keep practicing Basic Facts and the Related Skills, you might also like these:  

7. The Learning Centers: First Grade Word Problems

It’s time to practice first grade problem solving. There are so many ways to do this, ie. Learning Centers, Worksheets, Games… etc. So, I created this new resource that is fun and engaging! Introducing… Halloween Game Show (like Jeopardy) . Click on the image to check it out on TpT.

Here’s how Halloween Game Show works:

Students can be in teams, partners or may choose to work independently. They will choose a category and an amount, and a recording sheet is provided for them to keep track of their work. A Work it Out sheet is also provided for students to show their work. The students will work out the problem and check their answer. If they are correct, they gain points; and the team or person with the most points is the winner. There are 3 word problems for each category and each problem gets progressively harder. All are aligned to the standards and within 20.

Build a Monster – First Grade Problem Solving

Need a fun activity packet to keep your students busy for a while? Check out this  Build a Monster First Grade Word Problems Activity Packet ! Each time your student completes a story problems sheet (4 problems), they will color a piece of the monster. Once all 12 pages are complete, they can cut out the monster and put it together! Makes a great SUB PACKET!

Keep Practicing Addition & Subtraction 

As you work through the problem solving unit, you’ll want to keep practicing basic addition and subtraction facts. 

Here are some great resources for learning centers from my friend Carol (The Chocolate Teacher)  

8. The Fun: Spin a Story Problem for a Fun Learning Center

Your students can have fun while being creative as they spin a topic and use a ready made solution sentence to generate a story problem. This freebie comes with a generic spinner and the four seasons topics, plus 12 addition solution sentences and 12 subtraction sentences. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!  Grab a Solution Sentence, Spin the spinner and write the story problem. For example; let’s pretend that I grabbed 2 + 3 = 5 and I spun the jelly beans. Tim had 2 jelly beans. Saul gave Tim two more jelly beans. How many jelly beans does Tim have now? After creating the story problem, your student will either solve it on the recording sheet or allow a classmate to do so. Work continues until center time is up.

Click the image below to grab this freebie.

Add your name below to sign up for notifications of new posts from the Breaking Down the Standards Series AND Grab these Free First Grade Word Problems! 

Thank you for stopping by!

-Carrie Lutz

Disclosure: Carrie Lutz is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a small commission on products purchased through Amazon.com and other affiliated websites. You do not pay more when purchasing products through these links.

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5 Tips – How to Teach Students to Solve Word Problems

My students had been struggling with how to solve addition and subtraction word problems for what seemed like forever. They could underline the question and they could find the numbers. Most of the time, my students just added the two numbers together without making sense of the problem.

Ugh. Can you relate?

Below are five math problem-solving strategies to use when teaching word problems on addition and subtraction using any resource.

So, how do I teach word problems? It’s quite complex, but so much fun, once you get into it.

How to Teach Addition and Subtraction Word Problems

The main components of teaching addition and subtraction word problems include:

• Teaching the Relationship of the Number s – As a teacher, know the problem type and help students solve for the action in the problem
• Differentiate the Numbers – Give students just the right numbers so that they can read the problem without getting bogged down with the computation
• Use Academic Vocabulary – And be consistent in what you use.
• Stop Searching for the “Answer” – it’s not about the answer; it’s about the process
• Differentiate between the Models and the Strategies – one has to do with the relationship between the numbers and the other has to do with how students “solve” or compute the problem.

I am a big proponent of NOT teaching keyword lists. It just doesn’t work consistently across all problems. It’s a shortcut that leads to breakdowns in mathematical thinking. Nor should you just give students word problem worksheets and have them look for word problem keywords. I talk more in depth about why it doesn’t work in The Problem with Using Keywords to Solve Word Problems .

Teach the Relationship of the Numbers in Math Word Problems

One way to help your students solve word problems is to teach them the relationship of the numbers. In other words, help them understand that the numbers in the problem are related to each other in some way.

I teach word problems by removing the numbers . Sounds strange right?

Removing the distraction of the numbers helps students focus on the situation of the problem and understand the action or relationship of the numbers. It also keeps students from solving the problem before we talk about the relationship of the numbers.

When I teach word problems, I give students problems with blank spaces and no numbers. We first talk about the action in the problem. We identify whether something is being added to or taken from something else. That becomes our equation. We identify what we have to solve and set up the equation with blank spaces and a square for the unknown number

___ + ___ = unknown

Do you want a free sample of the word problems I use in my classroom?  Click the link or the image below. FREE Sample of Word Problems by Problem Type

Differentiate the numbers in the Word Problems

Only after we have discussed the problem do I give students numbers. I differentiate numbers based on student needs. At the beginning of the year, we all do the same numbers, so that I can make sure students understand the process.

After students are familiar with the process, I start to give different students different numbers, based on their level of mathematical thinking.

I also change numbers throughout the year, from one-digit to two-digit numbers. The beauty of the blank spaces is that I can put any numbers I want into the problem, to practice the strategies we have been working on in class.

At some point, we do create a list of words, but not a keyword list. We create a list of actions or verbs and determine whether those actions are joining or separating something. How many can you think of?

Here are a few ideas:

Join: put, got, picked up, bought, made Separate: ate, lost, put down, dropped, used

Don’t be afraid to use academic vocabulary when teaching word problems

I teach my students to identify the start of the problem, the change in the problem, and the result of the problem. I teach them to look for the unknown .

These are all words we use when solving problems and we learn the structure of a word problem through the vocabulary and relationship of the numbers.

In fact, using the same vocabulary across problem types helps students see the relationship of the numbers at a deeper level.

Take these examples, can you identify the start, change and result in each problem? Hint: Look at the code used for the problem type in the lower right corner.

For compare problems , we use the terms, larger , smaller , more and less . Try out these problems and see if you can identify the components of the word problems.

Stop searching for “the answer” when solving word problems

This is the most difficult misconception to break.

Students are not solving a word problem to find “the answer”. Although the answer helps me, the teacher, understand whether or not the student understood the relationship of the numbers, I want students to be able to explain their process and understand the depth of word problems.

Okay, they’re first and second-graders. I know.

My students can still explain, after instruction, that they start ed with one number. The problem result ed in other another number. Students then know that they are searching for the change between those two numbers.

It’s all about the relationship.

Differentiate between the models and the strategies

A couple of years ago, I came across this article  about the need to help students develop adequate models to understand the relationship of the numbers within the problem.

A light bulb went off in my head. I needed to make a distinction between the models students use to understand the relationship of the numbers in the problem and the strategies to solve the computation in the problem. Models and strategies work in tandem but are very different.

Models are the visual ways problems are represented. Strategies are the ways a student solves a problem, putting together and taking apart the numbers.

The most important thing about models is to move away from them. I know that sounds odd.

You spend so long teaching students how to use models and then you don’t want them to use a model. Well, actually, you want students to move toward efficiency.

Younger students will act out problems, draw out problems with representations, and draw out problems with circles or lines. Move students toward efficiency. As the numbers get larger, the model needs to represent the relationship of the numbers

This is a prime example of moving from an inverted-v model to a bar model.

Here is a student moving from drawing circles to using an inverted-v.

Students should be solidly using one model before transitioning to another.  They may even use two at the same time while they work out the similarities between the models.

Students should also be able to create their own models. You’ll see how I sometimes gave students copies of the model that they could glue into their notebooks and sometimes students drew their own model.  They need to be responsible for choosing what works best for them. Start your instruction with specific models and then allow students to choose one to use. Always move students toward more efficient models.

The same goes for strategies for computation. Teach the strategies first through the use of math fact practice , before applying it to word problems so that students understand the strategies and can quickly choose one to use. When teaching, focus on one or two strategies. Once students have some fluency in a few strategies, have them choose strategies that work for different problems.

Which numbers do you put in the blank spaces?

Be purposeful in the numbers that you choose for your word problems. Different number sets will lend themselves to different strategies and different models. Use number sets that students have already practiced computationally.

If you’ve been taught to make 10, use numbers that make 10. If you’re working on addition without regrouping, use those number sets. The more connections you can make between the computation and the problem-solving the better.

The examples above are mainly for join and separate problems. It’s no wonder our students have so much difficulty with compare problems since we don’t teach them to the same degree as join and separate problems.

Our students need even more practice with those types of problems because the relationship of the numbers is more abstract. I’m going to leave that for another blog post, though.

Do you want a FREE sample of the resource that I use to teach Addition & Subtraction Word Problems by Problem Type ?  Click this link or the image below.

How to Purchase the Addition & Subtraction Word Problems

The full resource is also available in my store for purchase  and on Teachers Pay Teachers .

More Ideas for Teaching Word Problems

44 comments.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!

Thanks for linking up to Great Blog Posts for Kindergarten Teachers .

Jennifer with Simply Kinder

This is great! I teach high school math, and always ask them to “Tell me the story” before we start looking at the numbers. If, in telling the story, they tell me a number, I stop them, and remind them that we’re just looking at what is happening, and ignore the numbers. They look at me like I am crazy, “Ignore the numbers?” Yes, I tell them. The numbers are not important until you understand the story, and even then, meh. I am thinking about giving them word problems without numbers, and use some of your suggestions. Maybe even let them put in numbers and solve their own problems. I’ve seen the word lists like you mentioned, and they’re ok, but they are not always true. Like, “how many all together?” usually means add, but in higher math, it could be addition in the form of repeated addition, aka, multiplication. Those little phrases are usually true for the early word problem problems, but as the students get older, they will need to be able to think about what the problem means, rather than just hunting for words and numbers. LOVE this approach!

I love the perspective of a high school math teacher! This is why I want to emphasize teaching about the situation and action of a word problem. I know it can be so simple when students are young, but once they hit third grade and are doing both multiplication and addition within the same problem, boy, does it get complicated! Students really need to understand the problem. Using blank spaces has helped most of my students focus on what is happening in the problem. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Thank you for presenting your work in such an organized fashion. Your thought process is so clear a beginning teacher will be able to instruct children brilliantly! I appreciated the work samples you included. Hope you continue this blog, you’re very talented.

Wow! Thank you for posting such an in-depth, organized lesson! My students, as well, struggle with the concept of word problems. This is wonderful!

You did a great job presenting this information. I absolutely love your way of teaching students how to think about word problems. Superior work!

Thank you so much! I have a lot of fun teaching word problems in the classroom, too.

Hi Jessica, I work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students at the elementary level. The overall and profound struggle of the deaf child is that of access to language(written). For those children not born into Deaf, ASL, 1st language household, we, in many cases, consider these children to be language deprived. Math is typically the stronger subject for my students as it has been, up until recently, the most visual subject, one which requires less reading and more computation and visual or spacial awareness. When the Common Core rolled out, I looked at the Math, more specifically, the word problems with the addition of explaining ones answer, I thought…”if it isn’t already so difficult for my students to navigate the written language presented to them but to now need to explain themselves mathematically” I figured I would go on just blocking out the story and focus on numbers and key words/indicators…. After reading your blog on the topic of word problems and looking at your products I have decided to start a new!!! Knowing the story, for some of my students, might better help them visualize the WHY and the reality of the numbers and their relationships. Knowing the story will also provide context to real life scenarios, which will translate to them being able to better explain their result, outcome or answer. An ah-ha moment for me! Cheers!!!

I am in my senior year @ UNCG for Deaf Education k-12 and we JUST discussed this today! Things like ‘CUBES’ and other key word memorization methods take away from the importance of understanding the story/situation. Being able to use these real life situations to make connections to the concept helps tremendously, even with large gaps in background knowledge/language. ASL provides the ability to SHOW the story problem, so I hope to take advantage of that when I teach math lessons. I love finding deaf educators!

Hello Jessica, I think your strategy is interesting. I already subsribe, but how to get your free sample of addition word problems. Thank you

It looks like you’ve already downloaded the free sample. Let me know if you’re not able to access it.

Hi, Jessica, I already got it yesterday. Thank you so much for your free sample. Kadek

I purchased your word problems pack and LOVE it! My 2nd graders are forced to slow down and analyze the story. We’ve had some GREAT discussions in math lately. Another strategy I like to do in problem solving is show the word problem but leave the question out. Kids brainstorm what questions could we ask to go with the problem. Fun stuff happening in math!

— so do you wait on teaching compare until they are a little good at joining and separating? “The examples above are mainly for join and separate problems. It’s no wonder out students have so much difficulty with compare problems, since we don’t teaching them to the same degree as join and separate problems. Our students need even more practice with those types of problems because the relationship of the numbers is more abstract. I’m going to leave that for another blog post, though”

I totally forgot that I was going to do a follow-up post on compare problems! Thank you for reminding me!

I do introduce join and separate problems first, but I don’t necessarily wait on teaching compare problems until students are proficient solving join/separate problems. Students will progress at different rates and I don’t want to wait to teach something that others’ might be ready to learn. I teach compare problems with a lot of physical modeling first and then we move into using a bar-model as the written model. The other thing I do with these types of problems is use concrete sentence frames. Sometimes, especially my English learners, need some of the vocabulary and sentence structure to better understand the relationship of the numbers.

I vary when I teach them every year. I often do it around Halloween, when we talk about pumpkins and who had a larger pumpkin or more seeds. I also do it when we measure our feet and we discuss the size of feet. It’s a great problem type for measurement, although you can compare any two quantities. Although I have taught a problem type, we continue to use it all year long as we relate to the math around us.

Hi. Just wondering if you did have a follow up post on compare problems. Thank you!

Not yet, but it’s on the plan for this month. I took a (long) break from doing FB lives and am starting back up again. That is one that I’ll do this month. I don’t have an exact date yet – kinda depends on when I can get my kids out of the house! 🙂

I cannot wait to try this with my students! We are getting their baseline today and then we are going to start on Thursday. I wish I could pick your brain about this and how you teach this beginning to end. Do you start by teaching them the vocabulary and just labeling the parts (start, change, result)?

I love how you teach student to label parts of the word problem while trying to solve it (S for Start, C for Change, etc.) You seem to have easily clarified the steps of solving problems in very clear (and cute) kid friendly language. Nice job. Thank you for sharing.

I love this idea of having the students organize the information. My question is how do you teach them when to add or multiply or subtract/divide? At that point do they look for works like equal groups?

I’m sorry…I have one more question. Can you apply this method to multi-step word problems?

Yes! Each “step” in the word problem would have its own equation, which may be dependent on the first equation. You’re using the same process, reading the problem for a context, setting up an equation, then giving students the numbers. With second graders, I do a lot of acting out for multistep problems, as it’s generally a new concept for them.

We don’t look for keywords but set up an equation based on the situation or context of the word problem. The situation in the word problem will illustrate the operation, like someone dropping papers, adding items to their cart, sharing something with friends, etc. The situation will tell the operation.

I love , love , love this concept my year 1 pupils easily grasps the lesson. Thanks a bunch! Do you have strategies like this for multiplication and division?

I do have a resource for multiplication and division: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Multiplication-and-Division-Word-Problems-by-Problem-Type-2805226

Hi Jessica, this is simply great. My 7 year old struggles with worded problems and I’ll try to method with him and hopefully it’ll help him grasp the methodology better. On w different note, I’ve been trying teach him how to solve simple addition and subtraction in the form of an equation. For example 15+—= 43 or 113- = 34. But despite multiple attempts of explaining the logic using beans and smaller numbers, he is struggling to understand. Would you have any tips on those.

Many thanks,

Thank you so much! This is super helpful for me. I’m currently student teaching in a 2nd grade class. My cooperating teach is EXTREMELY uncooperative and hasn’t/won’t help me in planning lessons. She told me to teach word problems and despite my follow up questions I don’t know what exactly they’ve done already this year or where to start. This post gave me lots of ideas and helped me prepare for last minute shifts as I teach without a plan (unfortunately). If I wasn’t a poor college student I would definitely buy the pack, especially after getting the free samples! These samples are so helpful!

Thanks! It is very interesting! Good!

Hey! You’re amazing! I’ve heard that this really help kids comprehend better & I want to try it! I sent my info but haven’t received the freebie.

You need to confirm your email address before I can send you any emails. The confirmation may have gone to your spam folder. I also have a different email address than the one for this comment. Feel free to fill out the contact form if you need me to switch the email address. For now, I’ll assume that this comment is a confirmation and manually approve it.

This worked amazingly well! My second graders were having such a tough time understanding how to do word problems. This strategy helped most of them with the ability to understand how to do word problems and demonstrate their knowledge on testing. Most importantly, after learning this strategy, the students kept asking for more problems to solve.

What pacing do you suggest for introducing the different types of problems? Should students master one type before moving on to another?

Great question! I would consider your students, grade level, and curriculum. I generally spend more time at the beginning of the year, with easier problem types to establish routines. Some problem types are complementary and easier to teach and practice after students learn one. I also cycle back through problem types as we learn new computation strategies. For instance, in second grade, we do single-digit addition at the beginning of the year, mid-year we move onto two-digit addition and mid- to end-of-the-year we do three-digit addition. We will cycle through problem types we’re already learned but increase the complexity of the numbers.

I would make sure a majority of your class has mastered the process of reading a word problem and identifying the parts. Also, be sure you’re separating student mistakes between computational or mathematical errors and problem-solving errors. As I said in the beginning, I’d take the cues based on your students, grade level, and curriculum. Some years I have spent more time because my students needed more time. Other years I was able to move quicker.

Makes sense! Thanks so much!

I absolutely LOVE this post. Thank you for sharing it! I teach third grade and my babies are struggling with what to actually DO in a word problem. I’m going to be trying this with them immediately. Do you have any suggestions for how to incorporate it with multiplication and division problems?

I do have a resource for multiplication & division word problems. In it are explanations about the problem types for multiplication and division. The 5 Tips in this blog post would be the same for multiplication and division. You can check it out here: https://whatihavelearnedteaching.com/product/multiplication-division-word-problems/

I also have a course about word problems that covers all four operations. https://premium.whatihavelearnedteaching.com/word-problems-course/

Thank you for sharing this wonderful resource! Could you explain how you teach your students to use the inverted V model? I noticed the 3 points are labelled as start, change, and result differently for each problem. I am very interested in teaching my students this model!

Great question! The start, change, and result are different for join and separate problems. I have a course on How to Teach Word Problems , that goes into detail about how to teach word problems, including labeling and using models like an inverted-v. You can check it out here: https://premium.whatihavelearnedteaching.com/word-problems-course/

Can you go over for me about “start, change and results”? Thanks.

This blog post may give you a bit more insight: https://whatihavelearnedteaching.com/the-problem-with-using-keywords-to-solve-word-problems/ or these videos: https://whatihavelearnedteaching.com/?s=word+problems

I also have a course on How to Teach Word Problems here: https://premium.whatihavelearnedteaching.com/word-problems-course/

My 9yr old struggles with word problems to. He’s good in performing the calculations but struggles with tracking and comprehension of word problems. I look forward to giving your tips a try.

Thank you for sharing!!

Really its fantastic strategy. Great ideas!

Thank you for sharing this great resource. Teaching math word problems to students with disabilities is never easy. I have to come up with a variety of different ways to teach my students on how to make word problem with connections to the real world.

First of all ,thanks for sharing this article. you explained it very well and my children learn so many things from this article. i wish you will post more article just like this one

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Strategies for Teaching Math in Grades 1 through 3

Dec. 5, 2017

Since the introduction of the common core, school districts across the nation have emphasized the importance of understanding the process over learning rote memorization to learn formulas and solve problems. Since kids no longer rely only on traditional memorization methods to learn math, the techniques we teach kids must give them the tools they need to understand math. Let us take a deeper look at some of the best practices for teaching math to early elementary kids using common core printable worksheets .

Grade 1: Techniques to Teach

In kindergarten, kids are working on basic math, like learning to count, and simple addition and subtraction using single numbers. First grade math is a huge step up in complexity, as kids are learning to count larger numbers, learning to solve equations, and adding to their vital math vocabulary. 

As kids learn increasingly complex math concepts, the following strategies can help students increase their number sense : 

Teaching Place Value

One of the most important concepts to introduce to first graders is place value. Think of place value as a gateway to easily understanding large numbers. Once kids are able to understand a digit’s place or value in a number, they can learn the steps to adding and subtracting numbers larger than 10. 

Comparing Numbers

Kids are able to compare numbers from an extremely early age, and are adept at being able to tell when they someone has more or less of something than them. In the first grade, kids take this a step further by learning “greater than”, “less than”, and “equal to”, which helps reinforce the relationship and value of numbers.

• Using Fact Families to Show Relationships

Fact families show kids how numbers are related to each other. When kids understand the association between numbers and the facts that unite them, they are able to see how addition and subtraction are related, and even how they can use addition to subtract, and vice versa. 

Grade 2: New Strategies for Even Bigger Numbers

Second grade math continues the hard work of first grade by increasing the number values and introducing new techniques for working with them. 1st and 2nd grade worksheets include the same overall topics, like addition and subtraction, but kids learn to relate addition with subtraction , work with base blocks, and more! 

Use the following strategies to help your second grader master grade-level math concepts: 

• Using Number Lines to Relate Addition with Subtraction

Like base blocks, number lines offer a visual aid for kids to understand numbers. However, number lines help kids understand where numbers stack up in a continuum, and help little learners to relate addition with subtraction, as they can add and subtract along the continuum. 

• Working with Word Problems

Word problems go a long way in helping kids build their number sense. Word problems provide a purpose to completing math, and can show kids how math can be used in real life. Additionally, when kids work with word problems, they sharpen analytical problem-solving skills as they think through the problem to determine the way the problem must be solved.  

• Adding and Subtracting using Regrouping 

Most adults learned to “borrow” numbers when subtracting, but were never taught why we did it. Teaching kids to use regrouping with addition and subtraction, teaches kids to use the knowledge they already learned in regard to place value to make addition and subtraction easier by regrouping the numbers into numbers that are easier to work with. 

Grade 3: Introducing Multiplication and Division 

Once kids are armed with the necessary tools to perform more complex math operations, it’s time to introduce third graders to multiplication and division using techniques to make it easy and understandable for early learners. In addition, kids are adding to their mental math library, skip counting by the thousands, and working with fractions ! 

These strategies work best for teaching complicated third grade math: 

• Using Graphs and Charts to Teach Measurement

Important for the development of data analysis skills, working with graphs give kids a visual to aid them in learning measurement, while teaching kids to use graphs to collect information.

• Skip Counting to Teach Multiplication

Long gone are the days of merely memorizing multiplication tables. By using a skill kids are already familiar with—skip counting—multiplication is made easy and understandable. Additionally, using images help kids understand the process of multiplication and how they find an answer because they are able to count the images on the worksheet and make a connection between the pictures and the answer on the page. 

• Using Shapes and Pictures of Familiar Objects to Teach Fractions and Geometry

When familiar pictures are broken up into equal parts, it’s easy to see fractions visually. This translates into kids who understand how to recognize and work with fractions, leading to a thorough understanding of numbers and their parts. 

• Introducing Base Blocks to Represent Large Numbers

Base blocks serve as manipulatives and visuals that kids can use to learn basic mathematical concepts. By using base blocks, we can introduce kids to larger groups of numbers, like tens and hundreds. Kids can then learn to add or subtract using base blocks, while gaining a deeper understanding of the process they take to solve problems.

In recent years, educators have made it a point to teach kids to learn math by growing their number sense for a more thorough understanding of math processes. This means that the way kids learn math today is very different from anything seen in the classroom ever before. This translates into more kids succeeding in math just by using new strategies like the ones above!

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Teaching Problem Solving in Math

• Freebies , Math , Planning

Every year my students can be fantastic at math…until they start to see math with words. For some reason, once math gets translated into reading, even my best readers start to panic. There is just something about word problems, or problem-solving, that causes children to think they don’t know how to complete them.

Every year in math, I start off by teaching my students problem-solving skills and strategies. Every year they moan and groan that they know them. Every year – paragraph one above. It was a vicious cycle. I needed something new.

I put together a problem-solving unit that would focus a bit more on strategies and steps in hopes that that would create problem-solving stars.

The Problem Solving Strategies

First, I wanted to make sure my students all learned the different strategies to solve problems, such as guess-and-check, using visuals (draw a picture, act it out, and modeling it), working backward, and organizational methods (tables, charts, and lists). In the past, I had used worksheet pages that would introduce one and provide the students with plenty of problems practicing that one strategy. I did like that because students could focus more on practicing the strategy itself, but I also wanted students to know when to use it, too, so I made sure they had both to practice.

I provided students with plenty of practice of the strategies, such as in this guess-and-check game.

There’s also this visuals strategy wheel practice.

I also provided them with paper dolls and a variety of clothing to create an organized list to determine just how many outfits their “friend” would have.

Then, as I said above, we practiced in a variety of ways to make sure we knew exactly when to use them. I really wanted to make sure they had this down!

Anyway, after I knew they had down the various strategies and when to use them, then we went into the actual problem-solving steps.

The Problem Solving Steps

I wanted students to understand that when they see a story problem, it isn’t scary. Really, it’s just the equation written out in words in a real-life situation. Then, I provided them with the “keys to success.”

S tep 1 – Understand the Problem.   To help students understand the problem, I provided them with sample problems, and together we did five important things:

• read the problem carefully
• restated the problem in our own words
• crossed out unimportant information
• circled any important information
• stated the goal or question to be solved

We did this over and over with example problems.

Once I felt the students had it down, we practiced it in a game of problem-solving relay. Students raced one another to see how quickly they could get down to the nitty-gritty of the word problems. We weren’t solving the problems – yet.

Then, we were on to Step 2 – Make a Plan . We talked about how this was where we were going to choose which strategy we were going to use. We also discussed how this was where we were going to figure out what operation to use. I taught the students Sheila Melton’s operation concept map.

We talked about how if you know the total and know if it is equal or not, that will determine what operation you are doing. So, we took an example problem, such as:

Sheldon wants to make a cupcake for each of his 28 classmates. He can make 7 cupcakes with one box of cupcake mix. How many boxes will he need to buy?

We started off by asking ourselves, “Do we know the total?” We know there are a total of 28 classmates. So, yes, we are separating. Then, we ask, “Is it equal?” Yes, he wants to make a cupcake for EACH of his classmates. So, we are dividing: 28 divided by 7 = 4. He will need to buy 4 boxes. (I actually went ahead and solved it here – which is the next step, too.)

Step 3 – Solving the problem . We talked about how solving the problem involves the following:

• taking our time
• working the problem out
• showing all our work
• estimating the answer
• using thinking strategies

We talked specifically about thinking strategies. Just like in reading, there are thinking strategies in math. I wanted students to be aware that sometimes when we are working on a problem, a particular strategy may not be working, and we may need to switch strategies. We also discussed that sometimes we may need to rethink the problem, to think of related content, or to even start over. We discussed these thinking strategies:

• switch strategies or try a different one
• rethink the problem
• think of related content
• decide if you need to make changes
• check your work
• but most important…don’t give up!

To make sure they were getting in practice utilizing these thinking strategies, I gave each group chart paper with a letter from a fellow “student” (not a real student), and they had to give advice on how to help them solve their problem using the thinking strategies above.

Finally, Step 4 – Check It.   This is the step that students often miss. I wanted to emphasize just how important it is! I went over it with them, discussing that when they check their problems, they should always look for these things:

• compare your answer to your estimate
• check for reasonableness
• check your calculations
• add the units
• restate the question in the answer
• explain how you solved the problem

Then, I gave students practice cards. I provided them with example cards of “students” who had completed their assignments already, and I wanted them to be the teacher. They needed to check the work and make sure it was completed correctly. If it wasn’t, then they needed to tell what they missed and correct it.

To demonstrate their understanding of the entire unit, we completed an adorable lap book (my first time ever putting together one or even creating one – I was surprised how well it turned out, actually). It was a great way to put everything we discussed in there.

Once we were all done, students were officially Problem Solving S.T.A.R.S. I just reminded students frequently of this acronym.

Stop – Don’t rush with any solution; just take your time and look everything over.

Think – Take your time to think about the problem and solution.

Act  – Act on a strategy and try it out.

Review – Look it over and see if you got all the parts.

Wow, you are a true trooper sticking it out in this lengthy post! To sum up the majority of what I have written here, I have some problem-solving bookmarks FREE to help you remember and to help your students!

You can grab these problem-solving bookmarks for FREE by clicking here .

You can do any of these ideas without having to purchase anything. However, if you are looking to save some time and energy, then they are all found in my Math Workshop Problem Solving Unit . The unit is for grade three, but it  may work for other grade levels. The practice problems are all for the early third-grade level.

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Word Problems (Grade 1)

Grade 1 Word Problems(examples, solutions, songs, videos, games, activities) Examples, solution, videos, and songs to help Grade 1 students learn how to use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

Related Pages More Lessons for Grade 1 Common Core for Grade 1

Solve word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or equal to 20, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

Common Core: 1.OA.1 and 1.OA.2

Suggested Learning Target

• I can model addition and subtraction word problems using objects, drawings, and equations with unknown numbers in different positions.
• I can solve addition and subtraction word problems using objects, drawings, and equations.
• I can solve word problems with unknown numbers in different positions (e.g., 6 + ? = 8, ? + 2 = 8, 6 + 2 = ?).
• I can represent a problem in multiple ways including drawings and or objects/manipulatives (e.g., counters, unifix cubes, Digi-Blocks, number lines)
• I can take apart and combine numbers in a wide variety of ways
• I can make sense of quantity and be able to compare numbers
• I can use flexible thinking strategies to develop the understanding of the traditional algorithms and their processes
• I can solve a variety of addition and subtraction word problems
• I can use _ or ? to represent an unknown in an equation
• I can add three whole numbers whose sum is less than or equal to 20.
• I can solve word problems with three whole numbers using objects, drawings, and equations.
• I can add numbers in any order and be able to identify the most efficient way to solve the problem

Addition Examples:

Result Unknown Two bunnies sat on the grass. Three more bunnies hopped there. How many bunnies are on the grass now? 2 + 3 = ?

Change Unknown Two bunnies were sitting on the grass. Some more bunnies hopped there. Then there were five bunnies. How many bunnies hopped over to the first? 2 + ? = 5

Start Unknown Some bunnies were sitting on the grass. Three more bunnies hopped there. Then there were five bunnies. How many bunnies were on the grass before? ? + 3 = 5

Subtraction Examples:

Result Unknown Five apples were on the table. I ate two apples. How many apples are on the table now? 5 – 2 = ?

Change Unknown Five apples were on the table. I ate some apples. Then there were three apples. How many apples did I eat? 5 – ? = 3

Start Unknown Some apples were on the table. I ate two apples. Then there were three apples. How many apples were on the table before? ? – 2 = 3

Word Problems. Addition with pictures (up to sum 20) Example: Lily had 5 apples and her aunt gave her 9 apples later. How many apples did Lily have finally?

Subtraction by counting back - word problems with pictures Example: There are 5 books on the desk. Betty took 2 away. How many books are left on the desk?

Word problems - subtraction with pictures - cross out - 1 digit Example: There are 9 cars in the shop and 8 of them are sold. How many cars are left?

Word problems - Subtraction with pictures - cross out (numbers to 20) Example: Mary had 11 toys and she gave 5 of them to Emma. How many toys did Mary have finally?

Word problems - adding multiple one-digit numbers Example: A furniture store sold 6 tables, 2 bookcases and 1 bed. How many pieces of furniture did the store sell in all?

Addition word problems that add up multiple values to sums less than or equal to ten. Example:

Laurem gave Troy two yellow pencils, three blue pencils and one green pencil. How many pencils did Lauren give him in all?

Ms. Ellis gave Lauren and Troy some cookies. Lauren ate two sugar and two chocolate chip cookies. Troy ate three oatmeal raisin and two sugar cookies. How many cookies did they eat in all?

Subtraction Strategies This video gives suggestions for solving subtraction story problems using a math mountain, equation, and circle drawing. Example: I have 8 peanuts. Then I eat 5 of them. How many peanuts are left?

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Visual Models for Problem Solving in 1st Grade

May 10, 2020

As students enter 1st grade, they continue to work on math comprehension using early structures, like the Kindergarten journal we introduced last week, but now we begin to add visual models to the mix!

Let’s recap a child’s developmental journey through problem solving:

• In the early childhood years, a child needs lots of developmentally appropriate experience interacting with real objects in a physical world . 
• The physical world is captured in a quantitative picture , which young children observe and use as a springboard for mathematical conversations.
• We transition into a more structured math work mat to help young students be able to connect numbers to words and words to numbers, still using familiar situations from real life.
• The math work mat gives way to a formal math journal in Kindergarten that makes use of math comprehension skills. It provides a structure for students to explain their understanding of numbers within real world situations that will carry on throughout elementary school. 

Each of the stages of development builds on the skills developed in the previous step, so it is important that students aren’t rushed through these stages. The goal is to teach students the why behind the how so they aren’t just memorizing procedures but truly understand what is happening as they solve problems.

This 1st grade year is the last stage in the Math4Littles progression , in my opinion. After this, there isn’t much scaffolding, so we really want to carefully implement all the previous stages of problem solving before we turn the students loose, because we don’t want them to start guessing and checking. In taking students on this developmental journey, we are trying to build them a solid foundation for visual models to help them to understand problem solving. 

How We Used to Teach Problem Solving

When I was teaching 1st grade, I remember a strategy that we used for problem solving called the C.U.B.S. method. Each of those letters stood for a step in the problem solving process so students could remember what to do: C – circle the numbers, U – underline the word, B – box the operation, S – solve the problem. Seems like a simple process that gives kids a really great structure to start to understand what words problems are asking, right? But what I realized is that this strategy doesn’t hold up long term.

“Shannon has 5 lollipop and Scott has 4 more lollipops than Shannon. How many do they have all together?” 

I watched students follow that procedure with this type of problem. They circled the 4 and 5, underlined important information and put a box around the words all together , which means add because we’ve all seen the T-charts of addition/subtraction vocabulary – it says difference , it means we’re going to subtract, if you see all together , we’re going to add. But that strategy gives me 4, 5, and all together . If you go back to the question, you’ll realize the answer isn’t 9.

As I often do, I asked myself why ? Why isn’t it 9? A little more reading comprehension is required to decode that answer. The problem says I had 5 lollipops. Scott had 4 more than me, which means he also had 5. Adding that up, he had 9 and I had 5, so there were 14 all together.  

Why are we teaching kids procedures with concepts they don’t understand? Sometimes the strategies that we teach in math are conditional, meaning they only work for a certain amount of kids or a certain length of time. Then you have to worry about teaching them when to apply it and the rules for applying it, and what was meant to make things easier for students ends up being more complicated.

When we start working with strategies, I want to be able to find that vertical zip, meaning if I show you how this strategy might work in first grade, it has to work as the child gets older too so that they don’t have to learn a whole new set of strategies every year because every teacher teaches it differently. Honestly, the CUBS method would probably work for 75% of the problems in first grade. Students are doing more advanced part-whole addition problems, part-whole subtraction, part-whole missing addends, and they’ll start doing a few multi-step problems, all of which fit in the part-whole family, for which the CUBS method works well. But when you move out of that genre of problems, it falls apart. 

In the Kindergarten journal, we featured part-whole addition, part-whole subtraction, part-whole missing addend, a few problems with teen numbers, and a mixed review. The journal is very structured because it is intended to start students thinking about what they’re reading in the story problem: We have a story, a sentence form, a quick draw area, a number bond, a 10-frame, and a computation area. As they transition to 1st grade, how do we remove some of that scaffolding while still keeping it developmentally appropriate?

We have to be really careful with the way we make this transition, because very quickly, students can jump to the “circle the numbers, box the word” strategy and many times they just appeal to us because they don’t know what to do. It’s a word problem and it’s confusing, so they just add because we’re talking about adding that week. 

Additive Comparison Problems 

Additive comparison problems, where I have an amount and you have the same amount but you may have more or less than I do, are introduced after students have spent some time working on multi-step part-whole problems.

This type of problem is really a play on language, in my opinion, which makes it really confusing for kids to understand exactly what it is asking. So, we really want kids to take a step back to understand the additive comparison problems, which are coded AC in our journals. I find that building these problems with unfix cubes is a good way to start.

Let’s take this problem: Shannon has 10 pet rocks and Sherry has 4 pet rocks. How many more rocks does Shannon have than Sherry?

In some ways it seems like this might be a missing addend problem, but in fact we’re really comparing my pet rocks to Sherry’s pet rocks and we’re asking how many more does one have than the other. This really requires students to take it to the concrete level and make a bar model with unifix cubes.

I put 10 cubes to represent Shannon’s pet rocks, and then I’ll use different color cubes to show Sherry’s 4. Then, I want to compare the lengths of those two bars and figure out what the problem is really asking, which is the gap between where Sherry’s bar stops and Shannon’s bar stops. The question mark is asking for how many more does Shannon have? 

Sometimes, the language of an additive comparison problem might be reversed and say how many less does Sherry have? Since it is a play on words, which sometimes becomes confusing for students, we really need to put thought into how we go about teaching kids to do a problem like this.

Visual Models for Additive Comparison Problems

If I were to line up all the programs we work with, every one of them has bit of a different name for visual models: model drawings, tape diagrams, bar models, unit bars. We’re going to universally call them visual models for word problems. 

These aren’t the little quick draws we’ve been doing in Kindergarten because, as students get older and the problems get more complex, I’m not going to be able to draw 13 ducks and then 9 more because it will take too long! Instead, I want to put it into a visual model that has these units.

This first grade year is a transitional time where kids are going from the quick draw to what I’m going to call proportional bars, which have a length of individual cubes that are representative of the quantities we’re talking about in the problem.

I just was working with a first grade teacher last week on a Zoom call, and this teacher had not been able to attend our workshop on their campus about visual models. She, like most teachers I work with, didn’t understand why visual models were so important. She thought her students should be able to do quick draws and didn’t understand why they had to do boxes. She told me she was a big proponent of encouraging students to solve problems in different ways, so why would she possibly want to teach students a procedure like this and make them solve word problems in this way. 

After I took her through the same progression of problem solving we’ve been going through in our blog the past few weeks, she was sold! I took her up through fifth grade to help her see why it is that, in 1st grade, we’re asking students to stop doing quick draws and start to use a visual model that has a unit bar with different pieces. This proportional model is also a great transition into using a non-proportional bar.

Let’s say I had 92 pet rocks and Sherry has 45 pet rocks. A quick draw clearly won’t work for this problem, and I don’t have enough room on my paper to draw a proportional model for those numbers. But I can draw a longer bar that represents Shannon’s rocks, write in 92 rocks, and draw a shorter bar to show Sherry’s 45 rocks so I could see the proportionality. 

The hardest thing to remember when we do visual models for word problems is that it actually has nothing to do with math! We’re not actually solving the problem on the model; we are solely using a reading comprehension strategy.  

One of the biggest misconceptions we addressed when we started rolling out the 1st grade journal samples that I’ll be using in this video, was that the total doesn’t go on the line. If the problem asks for a total, we represent that in the visual model with a question mark. 

We also want to make sure that we label the visual model. For example, putting a B above the books that Erin had and an L above the books she got at the library. 

The whole point of this process is to provide a systematic way for students to work through problems that doesn’t stop working after 1st grade or when you start working on a different type of story problem. In fact, this strategy carries through multiplicative comparison problems and fractions, all the way into ratios and proportions in middle school. 

Step-by-Step Problem Solving

Read the problem. Then, have someone read it and repeat it, and every time a new piece of math information is presented, we’re going to put a chunk. So, as kids are reading the problem, they start to learn how to dissect what’s being asked. 

Not all first grade students will be able to read the story problem, but this process is modeled day after day after day in the first grade classroom, so eventually the child will become independent. 

I’m going to read a story problem: Mark has 9 strawberries, 6 of them are small. The rest are large. How many strawberries are large? 

Then, I’ll go back and read it in chunks: Mark has 9 strawberries . This is a new piece of mathematical information, so students will repeat that statement back and highlight or put a line there. The students also like to say chunk! Then we continue reading: Six of them were small. I’ll stop, repeat it, and the students say chunk! as they mark that chunk in their journals. Now we have two pieces of mathematical information. Let’s continue: The rest were large . Repeat and then chunk! So, we’ve got three sections of information that the problem has given us that we need to replicate in our visual model.  Finally, How many strawberries are large? Repeat that and then chunk!

By going through the problem slowly and methodically, students can really see these sections that they’re reading, and, as they’re going on to the subsequent steps of solving the problem, they can actually check off that they’ve included all the chunks of information in their visual model. 

In our problem, it asked me how many strawberries are large? To put it in a sentence form, I would say: Mark has ____ large strawberries. I like to say Hmm for the ____  as we’re reading it out loud.

In Kindergarten, we provide the sentence for students, leaving the blank space for their answer. But in 1st grade, we take some of the scaffolding away. It might say “There were _____ large ____” and the students have to fill in the blanks.

The sentence form is a great way to make sure that kids are comprehending what they’re reading. Generally, students in first grade have a difficult time trying to create a sentence form, because they aren’t yet developmentally ready to give you a complete answer in reading. But students will be required to do a sentence form in 2nd through 5th grade so we can be sure they understand the problems being asked, so it’s really great practice to start in 1st grade with the scaffolding.

Proportional model. We start the 1st grade year with a proportional model. We may scaffold here for the who or the what, and students will eventually start to learn what goes in that visual model. In this case, we’re talking about all of Mark’s strawberries, even though the question itself is only asking about how many of them are large.

In a proportional model, you might see the 9 squares. This is a missing addend problem so that title is going to have PWMA at the top, and there will be exactly nine squares. Some people might think that’s giving it away, but remember the goal of visual models? It’s not to solve the problem but understand what’s going on in the problem, so we’re more concerned about whether or not the student can label the drawing correctly. 

In this example, the student would total the bar at 9 and check off the first chunk of the problem that we read earlier –  Mark has nine strawberries.

The next part says “6 of them are small.” In 6 of my boxes, I’ll make six Xs, or I might make small circles, and at the top I can either write small or abbreviate with an s . 

Then it says “the rest are big.” I could label that other section of the boxes B for big, or write the whole word if I wanted. Then,  I need to put a question mark above that section between 9 (the total number of strawberries) and 6 (the number of small strawberries). That section represents the large strawberries, which is what my sentence form reminds me that I’m looking for. 

Technically, a student could just look at this easy proportional model and say there are 3 large strawberries because it’s right there in front of them. So some people might think this journal is just too easy, but at the end of the day, students are solidifying the process. They’re going back up to the problem and putting a check when they add Xs or circles for the six small strawberries. They’re putting in a check when they’ve talked about putting in the large strawberries. Then they put a question mark to show what we’re looking for. There’s a lot of detail that we’re looking for kids to have to interact with the text in math to show the comprehension. 

In some of our schools, we will do a unit bar at the bottom of the page. In the 1st grade journal we’ve created for Math4Littles, we’re going to leave the bar off and introduce the non-proportional bar a little bit later in the year. There is nothing wrong with having a model of the proportional bar and then underneath it having the non-proportional bar. In our journal, we plan to show the proportional bar, and then bring in both types of bars so that kids could see the relationship between the two. If where about this non proportional bar, where would I slice it to put the nine in? And then where’s my question mark? is it labeled? etc. 

The integral parts of visual models are: labelling the who or what, taking the bar and adjusting it based on the information that’s given, and writing in their question mark. Then it’s time to solve!

Computation. Although this step might not seem necessary because our sample problem is so simple, and to first graders after they do so many, it seems simple and both teachers and students might wonder why they’re even doing it, but I can promise that these problems will become more complex, very quickly. In our 1st grade journal, we will feature this look at the proportional bar, and then transition to having proportional and non proportional models, and then eventually just leaving it blank and having the student put in a non proportional bar to see that they can develop this progression. 

1st Grade Goals

The goal is, by the end of their first grade year, students should be able to solve problems with larger numbers and a non-proportional bar. You certainly don’t want to rush that progression. 1st grade is a really nice scaffold for students to get to that point of independence, because when we get to 2nd grade, we don’t do a whole lot of scaffolding. There are more open-ended sentences, more blanks, and students are doing more of the work.

Additionally, we want to mix up the types of problems we’re solving, give students time to understand them. You might do three days of part-whole addition to see if they can get it under their belt. Then do some part-whole subtraction, then mix the two to see if students are just following a pattern where we’re adding today or subtracting today. We want to know that they can really apply what they’re learning. Multi-step problems, where students have to add and then subtract, or vice versa, are next. Give students lots of good practice, and then mix it up again to see if they’re really following the words, or if they’re just learning a procedure. The last type of problem that we would integrate in the first grade is additive comparisons. 

Video Tutorials

In the video tutorials, you’ll see aspects of four different problems being displayed. Some will have the proportional bar, some will have the proportional and the non proportional and some just won’t have it just so you can get an overall idea of what this looks like as we go.

[yotuwp type=”playlist” id=”PL76vNL0J-a405ysBIwEwXfaMp5883yGh4″ ]

As you watch the videos, think about how you could set this up in your classroom, starting with some of the sample problems that we’re offering as a free download today. We will be releasing a full 1st grade journal soon, so stay tuned! 

Join us next week for problem solving in 2nd grade: What are the different problems that 2nd grade is going to encounter? How are journals coded?  As we start to look at how journals are coded, which you certainly could use these tutorial videos right away in your classroom or in your distance learning by thinking about story problems in a different way.

*Addition , *Subtraction , *Word Problems , Audience - Lower Elementary (K-2) , Series - Math4Littles | 0 comments

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• School Leaders

Fill your classroom library 📚

75 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Teaching 1st Grade

Pass them onto your first grade teacher friends!

First grade is a year full of adventure! First grade learners begin to see themselves as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and more. To help make it the best year ever, we’ve scoured our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and the web for some of the best tips and ideas for teaching first grade. We hope this list of gems will inspire you whether you are a brand-new teacher or a veteran. We’ve organized the list by topic to make it easy to cruise for ideas!

Getting Your Classroom Ready

1. create an inviting classroom.

Need ideas? We’ve gathered real-life first grade classrooms for you to browse!

2. Gather all the supplies

Not sure exactly what you need for the first grade classroom? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this list of essential first grade classroom supplies .

3. Welcome your students with a big, colorful bulletin board

Image source: Doodlebugs Teaching

Seeing their names up on the wall will help students instantly feel at home, and the bright colors will create a festive mood in the classroom. Check out these bulletin board ideas .

4. Get a jump start on lessons

In first grade, teacher planning and prep time are precious! It makes life a lot easier when you can purchase existing lessons, bundles, books, and pages. And why not support other teachers while you do it? Check out our favorite Teachers Pay Teachers sellers  for first grade.

5. Put together an irresistible classroom reading nook

Your first graders are well on their way to becoming readers, so make this time extra special for them by setting up one of these awesome reading nooks .

6. Fill your classroom library with these classic first grade books

Here are 60 of our favorite first grade books .

7. Set up sensory tables

Early childhood teachers know that hands-on learning is essential. Sensory play encourages open-ended thinking, language development, and collaboration, and it builds fine motor skills. Sensory materials are magically both engaging and calming. Here are our favorites !

The First Days of School

8. introduce yourself creatively.

If you’re teaching first grade, you have the honor of being one of the first teachers a child will meet! Make day one memorable by introducing yourself in a creative way, such as sending postcards over the summer! For creative ideas, check out Unique Ways To Introduce Yourself to Students This Year .

9. Get to know one another with icebreakers

Get the kids mixing and moving as they get to know one another. Click here for lots of great ideas .

10. Set the stage with the perfect read-alouds

Here are our favorite back-to-school read-aloud books to help you get to know one another.

11. Keep track of classroom read-alouds

Are you looking for new and fun ways to track your classroom read-alouds? We have a few different methods of fun read-aloud tracking to spice up your routine.

Create a Classroom Community

12. start the day with morning meeting.

Morning meeting is an engaging way to connect with your students at the beginning of each day. An objectives and agenda board along with a morning message will help your students start off on the right track. Plus, check out this big list of morning meeting questions to last you all year!

13. Greet students with a song

Start morning meetings or greet your students with a song. It’s a great way to start the day on a positive note. Here are our favorite welcome songs to start your day!

14. Establish a culture of kindness

Print these free downloadable posters to remind your students that kindness matters most of all.

15. Build a happy classroom community

Everyone could use a reminder on how to make and keep friends. Here are our favorite friendship videos to help you build a happy classroom community.

16. Teach emotional regulation

Image source: Pathway 2 Success

Learning to live with your emotions takes a lot of practice. Here are Tips for Teaching Emotional Regulation.

17. Teach the difference between reporting and tattling

Image source: Mrs. Warner’s Learning Community

Save yourself a lot of headaches by teaching your students the difference between reporting and tattling. Read the Child Mind Institute’s Is It Tattling or Telling?

18. Read stories that build your students’ social-emotional skills

Learning how to be in school and be a good friend are a huge part of being a first grader. Share these SEL stories that will not only teach lessons but start conversations.

Ideas for Language Arts

19. incorporate daily writing prompts.

We’ve gathered plenty of writing prompts that you can download and use to get your first graders practicing their writing skills.

20. Stock up on fun tools to use for guided reading

Image source: Miss Van Maren’s Fantastic First Grade

Learning to read is hard work! Make it as fun as you can with the great ideas found at the blog  Guided Reading: A Little Novelty Goes a Long Way . For more information on guided reading, check out What Is Guided Reading?

21. Encourage critical thinking

First grade teacher Heather M. shares, “I give students questions that take more thought than our simple carpet discussions—questions that they had to apply what they know to answer. It helps them get away from answering without thinking just to be first.” Here is a big list of critical thinking questions to ask your class.

22. Differentiate reading instruction

“ Read Works is an incredible resource for teaching reading!” says first grade teacher Kellie P. “At least once a week, I use a reading passage and question set in either ‘guided reading’ or ‘read to someone’ for small-group practice. I can easily differentiate because they provide the Lexile levels. I found this resource to be very helpful, especially with nonfiction, to integrate science and social studies concepts into Daily 5 .”

23. Use apps to motivate resistant readers

We’ve rounded up a list of the top apps that teach essential reading skills and motivate kids to read .

24. Have your students create personal word walls or sound walls

Image source: Cara Carroll

Instead of having one massive class word wall, have students create and post their own personal word walls or sound walls in your classroom. Your first graders will love showcasing their skills! Check out Just Cara Carroll for a free personal word wall template.

25. Have fun with literacy centers

We love this big list of literacy center ideas for grades K-2 .

26. Make things interesting with foldables

Image source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

Foldables are a great and easy way to make any literacy activity more fun. The one above helps students group words with the same blend.

27. Teach them how to retell a story

Use these reading comprehension anchor charts to review stories with your first graders and strengthen their recall skills after reading.

28. Use paint strips to work on CVC words

Image source: Serving Pink Lemonade

Practice making new words by adding word parts to different beginning letters and letter sounds. And check out these other fun ways to use paint strips!

29. Teach sight words

Image source: Make, Take, and Teach

Check out these fun sight word activities for the classroom!

30. Make phonics fun

Phonics is the foundation for reading success. Breaking words into their constituent sounds helps kids understand and build their literacy skills, bit by bit. Check out these fun phonics activities .

31. Use games to teach blends

Image source: The Measured Mom

Check out these six free, low-prep games for teaching blends.

32. Introduce interactive notebooks

Image source: Teaching With Love & Laughter

First grade teacher Lori shares, “Using interactive notebooks is a great way for children to learn and interact with new information, as well as review and practice skills already introduced. They really took pride in their notebooks and were very proud to share their work with others. Unlike completing worksheets or other printables, which go home right away, these books are always available to the children.” Here’s a guide for how to use interactive notebooks plus a bunch of awesome examples.

Ideas for Math

33. keep your math manipulatives organized and easy to access.

Check out these creative ways to use math manipulatives .

Plus, here are some additional ideas from first grade teachers:

• “Use labels with words and pictures on bins. We take actual pictures of the materials.” — Amy L.
• “I give my kids the things they use the most, like counters and linking cubes, in a ziplock baggie to keep in their desks. When we need them, I just tell them to take out their math tools. It saves a lot of time passing them out every time they are needed.” — Diane D.
• “I put my manipulatives into clear shoe boxes and label them with words and pictures. I have a set of shelves in my back room where the kids can access them.” — Kelly H.
• “Save baby wipe tubs and give each student their own set of place value books to keep in the desk.” —Ann M.

34. Keep math journals

Making a chart that connects the numeral, word, and picture for each number will help reinforce number concepts with your little ones. Check out  more great examples of how to use math journals .

35. Differentiate math work by using online resources

There are tons of online resources for differentiating math work. For a huge list of suggestions, check out our best math websites for teaching and learning math.

36. Play math games

Here’s a big list of math games that are just right for first grade.

37. Watch math videos

Making math more engaging for kids can be difficult. But teaching math will be anything but boring when you introduce students to some of our favorite subtraction and addition videos on YouTube .

38. Teach shapes

Learning shapes is one of the earliest concepts we teach kids. Shapes ready them for geometry in the years ahead, but it’s also an important skill for learning how to write and draw. Get started with these activities for learning shapes .

39. Count the days of school and celebrate when you reach 100!

There are so many different fun ways to celebrate the 100th day of school. We’ve got a whole collection of 100th Day of School activities for you.

40. Have “Number Talks”

You can build mental math and computation skills with Number Talks .

First grade teacher Stephanie W. shares, “Our students need to be able to explain their thinking on math assessments, so this is a perfect way to get them comfortable with reasoning aloud. They learn to explain clearly and logically. It also helps them to see their errors since you write down the problem exactly the way they explain it. If they can’t see the errors, other students can help clarify. It also gives value to working problems in different ways. As children develop a deeper number sense, they decompose and manipulate numbers in more complex ways.”

41. Get to know the hundreds chart with number puzzles

These easy-to-make number puzzle games will help students see what 1 more, 10 more, 1 less, and 10 less look like. We’ve also gathered plenty of hundreds chart activities you can do with your students.

42. Share math word problems daily

We’ve got a collection of free math word problems for your first grade class ! Use them for math word problems of the day or a warm-up whenever you need it.

Ideas for Science

43. create “apple eruptions”.

Image source: Growing a Jeweled Rose

Conduct an apple-volcano science experiment. Fun and yum! Click here for step-by-step instructions. Plus, check out these apple science activities .

44. Get hands-on with science

Science is the perfect subject for kids to get down and dirty in. Try this big list of first grade science projects for inspiration.

45. Try daily STEM challenges

These STEM challenges are designed with your first graders in mind. Try one each day or each week to get their minds thinking outside the box.

46. Use a science journal to teach the seasons

Image source: Today … in First Grade

Students will draw trees in each season, describe what they wear during the different seasons, and journal about what makes winter, spring, summer, and fall different as they fill in this science journal.

47. Look for resources from an old friend

Check out these awesome lesson plans for teaching first grade science in the kitchen, on the playground, and throughout the day from PBS Kids .

48. Take a field trip

There’s something about the first grade field trip that’s so special. We’ve rounded up our favorite first grade field trips that students will remember forever.

Ideas for Classroom Organization

49. when it comes to decorating your classroom, less is more.

Anyone teaching first grade is going to have the urge to decorate, but check out these HELPLINE readers’ thoughts on why simplicity rules:

• “I have learned to start with a blank slate and let the students ‘decorate’ the classroom through the year with their work.” —Sarah H.
• “I made the mistake of covering every wall with decor and then had nowhere for anchor charts!” —Ann M.
• “You will see people go overboard with themes. Don’t bother! I saw the cutest classroom where the teacher had bought a pack of plain borders with various colors, and she just alternated the colors on the wall with alternating butcher paper. Go simple.” —Suzanne H.

Plus, check out our minimalist guide to classroom design .

50. Keep paperwork organized with labeled three-drawer bins

Image source: Learning to Teach

Hurray! No more messy piles everywhere when teaching first grade. For more ideas, check out these organization tips for back to school.

51. Create classroom mailboxes for students

Image source: The Teaching Thief

Use mailboxes to return work and have students write and deliver letters to one another! Personalize them to match your classroom decor. Here are our favorite DIY mailboxes.

52. Craft milk-crate seats with built-in storage

Image source: The Apple Tree Room

These adorable seats can double as bins for easy materials storage. Check out other creative ways to use milk crates in your classroom.

53. Keep your classroom books organized

Make it easier for students to grab their favorite books. These amazing classroom bookshelves are perfect for setting up a classroom library or reading nook.

54. Use “absent folders” to help students catch up when they return to school

Image source: Teaching With Terhune

Partner students at the beginning of the year. When one student is absent, have their partner put work in the Absent Folder for them. When the student returns to school, send the folder home. Total time-saver!

Ideas for Classroom Management

55. there’s a chart for that.

These classroom management anchor charts tackle every possible issue.

56. Use a snappy call-and-response to get their attention

For fun ideas for quieting a noisy class, check out these attention-getters .

57. Put a system in place for the lunch count

Image source: Tales From a Fourth Grade Math Nut

Here are some of our favorite lunch count ideas for making it quick and easy.

58. Take a brain break

Check out these brain break videos , gathered just for your first graders.

59. Reduce stress during dismissal

Dismissal time doesn’t have to be chaotic. Check out these great tips on handling dismissal time .

60. Let students pick their own seats (carefully)

Teaching first grade is part of easing kids into the school experience. Let them practice their independence with these tips for letting students choose their seats .

61. Motivate students to tidy up the classroom

We’ve put together this list of catchy cleanup songs for kids to make those transitions a breeze!

62. Have students use colored sticky notes to communicate their understanding of a concept

Image source: Love, Teach, Inspire

Students signal if they’re struggling, stuck, or solid on a concept they’re learning! You can use sticky notes or colored index cards.

63. Set up a “Calm-Down Corner” and toolbox

Image source: Creatively Teaching First

The calm-down spot is a classroom space where students go to regulate their emotions and redirect their behavior. Stock these spaces with tools students can use to help them calm down and make better choices. Learn more about Why Safe Spaces Are Critical in Today’s Classrooms.

Need more inspiration? Here are 8 Types of Learning Spaces to Consider Including in Your Elementary Classroom .

64. Use online timers to keep the learning on track

We’ve rounded up the best, fun online timers to try for the classroom to help with keeping students on track.

Other Ideas

65. use all the anchor charts.

Here are our favorite anchor charts for teaching first grade .

66. Build relationships with your students’ parents

Check out these Teacher-Tested Ways To Make Your Classroom Parents Adore You .

67. Make art

Check out these art projects that are just right for first graders .

68. Set the tone for work time with background music

From Piano Guys to Afrobeat to the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra, you can find a Pandora station for every occasion.

69. Play with your kids

First graders are hilarious! Don’t forget to have fun with them. Here are a bunch of old-school recess games you can teach your students.

70. Use technology to organize classroom volunteers

Sites like SignUpGenius are free and user-friendly. You could also assign one of your classroom volunteers to manage the content and delegation of any project or extra hands needed using this service. If you are looking for more ways to use classroom volunteers, here are Tricks To Get the Most Out of Classroom Volunteers .

71. Display student work from the ceiling

Image source: Kroger’s Kindergarten

This is the perfect solution for teaching in first grade classrooms with limited wall space, which is the case in most classrooms. Dangle student work from the ceiling! Check out more clever ways to display students’ work in the classroom and online .

72. Bring more positive language into your classroom

Here are a few ways we can find the kind of mindfulness and positive language we hope to model for our students.

73. Get acquainted with running records

What are running records? When used meaningfully while teaching first grade, running records can really help you move the needle. Running records are a valuable reading-assessment tool used in many primary classrooms.

74. Create DIY classroom cubbies

Image source: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

Give your kids some space of their own. These DIY classroom cubbies provide lots of options for teachers.

75. Grab inspired dry erasers

Image source: @kinder_charm

This is one of the best money-saving hacks I’ve seen in recent years! After all, inspiration can come from all sorts of places. They’re perfect for little hands and they really get the “erasing” job done. Bonus: They’re cute too! Check out more of our favorite money-saving classroom hacks .

What are your top tips for teaching first grade? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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Problem Solving Activities: 7 Strategies

• Critical Thinking

Problem solving can be a daunting aspect of effective mathematics teaching, but it does not have to be! In this post, I share seven strategic ways to integrate problem solving into your everyday math program.

In the middle of our problem solving lesson, my district math coordinator stopped by for a surprise walkthrough. 

I was so excited!

We were in the middle of what I thought was the most brilliant math lesson– teaching my students how to solve problem solving tasks using specific problem solving strategies. 

It was a proud moment for me!

Each week, I presented a new problem solving strategy and the students completed problems that emphasized the strategy. 

Genius right? 

After observing my class, my district coordinator pulled me aside to chat. I was excited to talk to her about my brilliant plan, but she told me I should provide the tasks and let my students come up with ways to solve the problems. Then, as students shared their work, I could revoice the student’s strategies and give them an official name. 

What a crushing blow! Just when I thought I did something special, I find out I did it all wrong. 

I took some time to consider her advice. Once I acknowledged she was right, I was able to make BIG changes to the way I taught problem solving in the classroom. 

When I Finally Saw the Light

To give my students an opportunity to engage in more authentic problem solving which would lead them to use a larger variety of problem solving strategies, I decided to vary the activities and the way I approached problem solving with my students. 

Problem Solving Activities

Here are seven ways to strategically reinforce problem solving skills in your classroom. 

Seasonal Problem Solving

Many teachers use word problems as problem solving tasks. Instead, try engaging your students with non-routine tasks that look like word problems but require more than the use of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to complete. Seasonal problem solving tasks and daily challenges are a perfect way to celebrate the season and have a little fun too!

Cooperative Problem Solving Tasks

Go cooperative! If you’ve got a few extra minutes, have students work on problem solving tasks in small groups. After working through the task, students create a poster to help explain their solution process and then post their poster around the classroom. Students then complete a gallery walk of the posters in the classroom and provide feedback via sticky notes or during a math talk session.

Notice and Wonder

Before beginning a problem solving task, such as a seasonal problem solving task, conduct a Notice and Wonder session. To do this, ask students what they notice about the problem. Then, ask them what they wonder about the problem. This will give students an opportunity to highlight the unique characteristics and conditions of the problem as they try to make sense of it. 

Want a better experience? Remove the stimulus, or question, and allow students to wonder about the problem. Try it! You’ll gain some great insight into how your students think about a problem.

Math Starters

Start your math block with a math starter, critical thinking activities designed to get your students thinking about math and provide opportunities to “sneak” in grade-level content and skills in a fun and engaging way. These tasks are quick, designed to take no more than five minutes, and provide a great way to turn-on your students’ brains. Read more about math starters here ! 

Create your own puzzle box! The puzzle box is a set of puzzles and math challenges I use as fast finisher tasks for my students when they finish an assignment or need an extra challenge. The box can be a file box, file crate, or even a wall chart. It includes a variety of activities so all students can find a challenge that suits their interests and ability level.

Calculators

Use calculators! For some reason, this tool is not one many students get to use frequently; however, it’s important students have a chance to practice using it in the classroom. After all, almost everyone has access to a calculator on their cell phones. There are also some standardized tests that allow students to use them, so it’s important for us to practice using calculators in the classroom. Plus, calculators can be fun learning tools all by themselves!

Three-Act Math Tasks

Use a three-act math task to engage students with a content-focused, real-world problem! These math tasks were created with math modeling in mind– students are presented with a scenario and then given clues and hints to help them solve the problem. There are several sites where you can find these awesome math tasks, including Dan Meyer’s Three-Act Math Tasks and Graham Fletcher’s 3-Acts Lessons . 

Getting the Most from Each of the Problem Solving Activities

When students participate in problem solving activities, it is important to ask guiding, not leading, questions. This provides students with the support necessary to move forward in their thinking and it provides teachers with a more in-depth understanding of student thinking. Selecting an initial question and then analyzing a student’s response tells teachers where to go next. 

Ready to jump in? Grab a free set of problem solving challenges like the ones pictured using the form below. 

Which of the problem solving activities will you try first? Respond in the comments below.

Shametria Routt Banks

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This is a very cool site. I hope it takes off and is well received by teachers. I work in mathematical problem solving and help prepare pre-service teachers in mathematics.

Thank you, Scott! Best wishes to you and your pre-service teachers this year!

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• ELEMENTARY TEACHING , MATH

How to Teach Word Problems: Strategies for Elementary Teachers

If you are looking for tips and ideas for how to teach word problems to your elementary students, then you’ve found the right place! We know that teaching elementary students how to solve word problems is important for math concept and skill application, but it sure can feel like a daunting charge without knowing about the different types, the best practices for teaching them, and common misconceptions to plan in advance for, as well as having the resources you need. All this information will make you feel confident about how to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems! Teaching students how to solve word problems will be so much easier!

This blog post will address the following questions:

• What is a word problem?
• What is a multi-step word problem?
• Why are elementary math word problems important?
• Why are math word problems so hard for elementary students?
• What are the types of word problems?
• How do I teach math word problems in a systematic way?
• What are the best elementary math word problem strategies I can teach my students and what are some tips for how to teach math word problems strategies?
• Do you have any helpful tips for how to teach word problems?
• What are the common mistakes I should look for that my students may make?
• How do I address my students’ common misconceptions surrounding elementary math word problems?

What is a Word Problem?

A word problem is a math situation that calls for an equation to be solved.  Students must apply their critical thinking skills to determine how to solve the problem.  Word problems give students the opportunity to practice turning situations into numbers.  This is critical as students progress in their education, as well as in their day-to-day life.  By teaching students how to solve word problems in a strategic way, you are setting them up for future success!

What is a Multi-Step Word Problem?

A multi-step word problem , also known as a two-step word problem or two-step equation word problem, is a math situation that involves more than one equation having to be answered in order to solve the ultimate question.  This requires students to apply their problem solving skills to determine which operation or operations to use to tackle the problem and find the necessary information.  In some cases, the situation may call for mixed operations, and in others the operations will be the same.  Multi-step word problems offer students the opportunity to practice the skill of applying different math concepts with a given problem.

Why are Word Problems Important in Math?

Word problems are essential in math because they give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a real life situation.  In addition, it facilitates students in developing their higher order thinking and critical thinking skills, creativity, positive mindset toward persevering while problem solving, and confidence in their math abilities.  Word problems are an effective tool for teachers to determine whether or not students understand and can apply the concepts and skills they learned to a real life situation.

Why do Students Struggle with Math Word Problems?

Knowing why students have trouble with word problems will help you better understand how to teach them. The reason why math word problems are difficult for your students is because of a few different reasons. First, students need to be able to fluently read and comprehend the text. Second, they need to be able to identify which operations and steps are needed to find the answer. Finally, they need to be able to accurately calculate the answer. If you have students who struggle with reading or English is their second language (ESL), they may not be able to accurately show what they know and can do because of language and literacy barriers. In these cases, it is appropriate to read the text aloud to them or have it translated into their native language for assignments and assessments.

Types of Word Problems

Knowing the different types of word problems will help you better understand how to teach math word problems. Read below to learn about the four types of basic one-step addition and subtraction word problems, the subcategories within each of them, and specific examples for all of them. Two-step equation word problems can encompass two of the same type or two separate types (also known as mixed operation word problems).

This type of word problem involves an action that increases the original amount. There are three kinds: Result unknown, change unknown, and initial quantity unknown.

Result Unknown

Example : There were 7 kids swimming in the pool. 3 more kids jumped in. How many kids are in the pool now? (7 + 3 = ?)

Change Unknown

Example : There were 8 kids swimming in the pool. More kids jumped in. Now there are 15 kids in the pool. How many kids jumped in? (8 + ? = 15)

Initial Quantity Unknown

Example : There were kids swimming in the pool. 2 kids jumped in. Now there are 6 kids in the pool. How many kids were swimming in the pool at first? (? + 2 = 6)

2. Separate

This type of word problem involves an action that decreases the original amount. There are three kinds: Result unknown, change unknown, and initial quantity unknown.

Example: There were 12 kids swimming in the pool. 6 of the kids got out of the pool. How many kids are in the pool now? (12 – 6 = ?)

Example: There were 9 kids swimming in the pool. Some of the kids got out of the pool. Now there are 4 kids in the pool. How many kids got out of the pool? (9 – ? = 4)

Example: There were kids swimming in the pool. 3 of the kids got out of the pool. Now there are 2 kids in the pool. How many kids were in the pool at first? (? – 3 = 2)

3. Part-Part-Whole

This type of word problem does not involve an action like the join and separate types. Instead, it is about defining relationships among a whole and two parts. There are two kinds: result unknown and part unknown.

Example: There are 5 boys and 9 girls swimming in the pool. How many kids are in the pool? (5 + 9 = ?)

Part Unknown

Example: There are 12 kids swimming in the pool. 8 of them are girls and the rest of them are boys. How many boys are swimming in the pool? (8 + ? = 12)

This type of word problem does not involve an action or relationship like the three other types. Instead, it is about comparing two different unrelated items. There are two kinds: Difference unknown and quantity unknown.

Difference Unknown

Example: There are 2 kids in the pool. There are 7 kids in the yard. How many more kids are in the yard than in the pool? (2 + ? = 7 or 7 – 2 = ?)

Quantity Unknown

Example 1: There are 5 kids in the pool. There are 3 fewer kids playing in the yard. How many kids are playing in the yard? (5 – 3 = ?)

Example 2: There are 2 kids in the pool. There are 10 more kids playing in the yard than in the pool. How many kids are playing in the yard? (2 + 10 = ?)

How to Solve Word Problems in 5 Easy Steps

Here are 5 steps that will help you teach word problems to your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade students:

• Read the problem.
• Read the problem a second time and make meaning of it by visualizing, drawing pictures, and highlighting important information (numbers, phrases, and questions).
• Plan how you will solve the problem by organizing information in a graphic organizer and writing down equations and formulas that you will need to solve.
• Implement the plan and determine answer.
• Reflect on your answer and determine if it is reasonable.  If not, check your work and start back at step one if needed.  If the answer is reasonable, check your answer and be prepared to explain how you solved it and why you chose the strategies you did.

5 Math Word Problem Strategies

Here are 5 strategies for how to teach elementary word problems:

Understand the math situation and what the question is asking by picturing what you read in your head while you are reading.

Draw Pictures

Make meaning of what the word problem is asking by drawing a picture of the math situation.

Make Models

Use math tools like base-ten blocks to model what is happening in the math situation.

Highlight Important Information

Underline or highlight important numbers, phrases, and questions.

Engage in Word Study

Look for key words and phrases like “less” or “in all.” Check out this blog post if you are interested in learning more about math word problem keywords and their limitations.

10 Tips for Teaching Students How to Solve Math Word Problems

Here are 10 tips for how to teach math word problems:

• Model a positive attitude toward word problems and math.
• Embody a growth mindset.
• Model! Provide plenty of direct instruction.
• Give lots of opportunities to practice.
• Explicitly teach strategies and post anchor charts so students can access them and remember prior learning.
• Celebrate the strategies and process rather than the correct answer.
• Encourage students to continue persevering when they get stuck.
• Invite students to act as peer tutors.
• Provide opportunities for students to write their own word problems.
• Engage in whole-group discussions when solving word problems as a class.

Common Misconceptions and Errors When Students Learn How to Solve Math Word Problems

Here are 5 common misconceptions or errors elementary students have or make surrounding math word problems:

1. Use the Incorrect Operation

Elementary students often apply the incorrect operations because they pull the numbers from a word problem and add them without considering what the question is asking them or they misunderstand what the problem is asking.  Early in their experience with word problems, this strategy may work most of the time; however, its effectiveness will cease as the math gets more complex.  It is important to instruct students to develop and apply problem-solving strategies.

Although helpful in determining the meaning, elementary students rely solely on key words and phrases in a word problem to determine what operation is being called for. Again, this may be an effective strategy early on in their math career, but it should not be the only strategy students use to determine what their plan of attack is.

2. Get Stuck in a Fixed Mindset

Some elementary students give up before starting a word problem because they think all word problems are too hard.  It is essential to instill a positive mindset towards math in students. The best way to do that is through modeling. If you portray an excitement for math, many of your students will share that same feeling.

3. Struggle with Reading Skills Component

For first and second graders (as well as struggling readers and ESL students), it is common for students to decode the text incorrectly. Along the same lines, some elementary students think they can’t solve word problems because they do not know how to read yet.  The purpose of word problems is not to assess whether a child can read or not.  Instead, the purpose is to assess their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.  As a result, it is appropriate to read word problems to elementary students.

4. Calculate Incorrectly

You’ll find instances where students will understand what the question is asking, but they will calculate the addends or the subtrahend from the minuend incorrectly. This type of error is important to note when analyzing student responses because it gives you valuable information for when you plan your instruction.

5. Encode Response Incorrectly

Another error that is important to note when analyzing student responses is when you find that they encode their solution in writing incorrectly. This means they understand what the problem is asking, they solve the operations correctly, document their work meticulously, but then write the incorrect answer on the line.

How to Address Common Misconceptions Surrounding Math Word Problems

You might be wondering, “What can I do in response to some of these misconceptions and errors?” After collecting and analyzing the data, forming groups based on the results, and planning differentiated instruction, you may want to consider trying out these prompts:

• Can you reread the question aloud to me?
• What is the question asking us to do?
• How can we represent the information and question?
• Can we represent the information and question with an equation?
• What is our first step?
• What is our next step?
• Can you think of any strategies we use to help us solve?
• How did you find your answer?
• Can you walk me through how you found your answer step by step?
• What do we need to remember when recording our answer?

Now that you have all these tips and ideas for how to teach word problems, we would love for you to try these word problem resources with your students. They offer students opportunities to practice solving word problems after having learned how to solve word problems. You can download word problem worksheets specific to your grade level (along with lots of other math freebies) in our free printable math resources bundle using this link: free printable math activities for elementary teachers .

Check out my monthly word problem resources !

• 1st Grade Word Problems
• 2nd Grade Word Problems
• 3rd Grade Word Problems
• 4th Grade Word Problems
• 5th Grade Word Problems

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Math for 1st Graders

Explore our first grade math resources aligned to the 1st grade common core math curriculum. Enjoy learning key math concepts taught in the first grade, including counting, addition and subtraction strategies, word problems, picture graphs, telling time, counting money, comparing measurements, and much more. Perfect grade 1 math resources for teachers, parents, and kids! Start now for free!

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Number Sense

Count by 1s within 20 Game

Enter the madness of math-multiverse by exploring how to count by 1s within 20.

Count Forward from any Number within 20 Game

Ask your little one to count forward from any number within 20 to play this game.

Counting Sequence within 100 Worksheet

A worksheet designed to enhance students' numerical sequencing skills up to 100.

Counting Sequence within 120 Worksheet

Enhance number sequencing skills with this engaging worksheet, covering sequences within 120.

Count On to Add within 10 Game

Dive deep into the world of addition by counting on to add within 10.

Find One More to Add Game

Dive deep into the world of addition with our 'Find One More to Add' game.

Complete the Number Sentence Worksheet

This downloadable worksheet is designed to help you complete the number sentence.

Add Using 10-Frames Worksheet

Assess your math skills by adding using 10-frames in this worksheet.

Subtraction

Subtract Using Pictures Game

Shine bright in the math world by learning how to subtract using pictures.

Subtract and Match the Number Game

Begin the exciting journey of becoming a math wizard by learning to subtract and match the number.

Use Pictures to Subtract Worksheet

Learners must use pictures to subtract to enhance their math skills.

Identify the Correct Subtraction Sentence Worksheet

Focus on core math skills with this fun worksheet by identifying the correct subtraction sentence.

Identify the Shapes in Different Orientations Game

Add more arrows to your child’s math quiver by identifying the shapes in different orientations.

Identifying Sides and Corners Game

Enjoy the marvel of math-multiverse by learning to identify sides and corners.

How Many Corners and Sides Worksheet

Learn geometry at the speed of lightning by practicing all about corners and sides.

Number of Sides and Corners Worksheet

Enhance your math skills by practicing shapes & the number of their sides and corners.

Data Handling

Read the Data Game

Begin the exciting journey of becoming a math wizard by learning how to read data.

Compare the Data Game

Take the first step towards building your math castle by practicing how to compare data.

Count to Complete the Table Worksheet

Reveal the secrets of math wizardry by practicing to count to complete the table.

Create a Tally Table Worksheet

Assess your math skills by creating a tally table in this worksheet.

Measurement

Align and Compare Lengths Game

Enjoy the marvel of math-multiverse by exploring how to align and compare lengths.

Equal Lengths Game

Practice the concept of equal lengths with your little one through this game.

Which One is Longer Worksheet

Learn measurement at the speed of lightning by practicing to identify which one is longer.

Which One is Shorter Worksheet

In this worksheet, learners will get to identify the shorter one.

The Hour Hand Game

Add more arrows to your child’s math quiver by playing 'The Hour Hand' game.

Read Time in Hours Game

Let your child see the world through math-colored shades by reading the time in hours!

Hour Hand and Minute Hand Worksheet

Be on your way to become a mathematician by practicing the hour hand and the minute hand.

Position of Hour and Minute Hand Worksheet

Make math practice a joyride by solving problems to position the hour and minute hand correctly.

Different Types of Coins Game

Explore different types of coins with your little one.

Count Coins of a Type Game

Have your own math-themed party by learning how to count coins of a type.

Identify Coins & Values Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to identify coins & values.

Draw Coins Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to draw coins.

Word Problems

Word Problems on Adding 3 Numbers Game

Learn to solve word problems on adding 3 numbers by playing this game.

Solve Count On Scenarios Game

Begin the exciting journey of becoming a math wizard by learning how to solve count on scenarios.

Select the Correct Addition Expression Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by selecting the correct addition expression.

Find the Sum by Part-Part-Whole Model Worksheet

Assess your math skills by finding the sum by 'Part-Part-Whole' model in this worksheet.

All Math Resources

Identify the Addition Sentence Game

Enjoy the marvel of math-multiverse by identifying the addition sentence.

Identify 1 More or 1 Less Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to identify 1 more or 1 less.

Find the Sum Using Part-Part-Whole Model Worksheet

Combine math learning with adventure by solving to find the sum using 'Part-Part-Whole' model.

Solve Subtraction Sentences Game

Enjoy the marvel of math-multiverse by exploring how to solve subtraction sentences.

Identify Shapes in Different Orientation Game

Have your own math-themed party by learning how to identify shapes in different orientations.

Add Using Fingers Worksheet

Learners must add using fingers to enhance their math skills.

Classify Shapes as Flats or Solids Worksheet

Focus on core math skills with this fun worksheet by classifying shapes as flats or solids.

Measure Length using Another Object Game

Add more arrows to your child’s math quiver by measuring the length using another object.

Estimate Length Using Objects Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to estimate lengths using objects.

The Minute Hand Game

Take a look at the minute hand with this fun game about time.

Represent Money using Symbols Game

Shine bright in the math world by learning how to represent money using symbols.

Time of Activities of the Day Worksheet

Look at the time of activities of the day by printing this playful worksheet.

Guess the Price Worksheet

Dive into this fun-filled printable worksheet by practicing to guess the price.

Identify the Expression Game

Unearth the wisdom of mathematics by learning how to identify the expression.

Represent Word Problems as Math Expressions Worksheet

Dive into this worksheet by practicing to represent word problems as math expressions.

Find More & Less Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to find 'More' & 'Less'.

Choose the Correct Expression Game

Have your own math-themed party by learning how to choose the correct expression.

Triangles and Rectangles Game

Take a look at triangles and rectangles with this geometry game.

Write Equations Using Part-Part-Whole Model Worksheet

Learn number sense at the speed of lightning by writing equations using 'Part-Part-Whole' model.

Complete the Part-Part-Whole Model Worksheet

Learners must complete the 'Part-Part-Whole' model to enhance their math skills.

Select the Right Unit Game

Learn to solve math problems by selecting the right unit.

Match the Attributes of Trapezoid Worksheet

Explore this worksheet to enhance your understanding of trapezoid properties through matching!

Relate Activities with A.M. and P.M. Game

Shine bright in the math world by learning how to relate activities with A.M. and P.M.

Use Symbols to Represent Money Game

Unearth the wisdom of mathematics by learning how to use symbols to represent money.

Estimate Length Using Tiles Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to estimate length using tiles.

Hours or Minutes Worksheet

Make math practice a joyride by solving problems with 'hours' or 'minutes'.

Mark Numbers in Order Game

Unearth the wisdom of mathematics by learning how to mark numbers in order.

Add Within 5 Game

Let your child see the world through math-colored shades with our 'Add Within 5' games!

Understanding Coins Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to understand coins.

Identify Math Expression for Word Problems Worksheet

Learners must identify math expressions for word problems to enhance their math skills.

Subtract Within 5 Game

Practice the superpower of subtraction by learning how to subtract within 5.

Identify Shapes by Name Game

Practice the superpower of mathematics by learning to identify shapes by their names.

Complete More or Less Sentences Worksheet

Pack your math practice time with fun by completing 'more' or 'less' sentences.

Create and Solve Your Own Story Problem Worksheet

Help your child revise subtraction by creating and solving your own story problem.

How Many in All Game

Ask your little one to determine 'how many in all' to play this game.

Make Reasonable Estimates of Lengths Game

Enter the madness of math-multiverse by exploring how to make reasonable estimates of lengths.

Part-Part-Whole Model Worksheet

In this worksheet, learners will get to practice the 'Part-Part-Whole' model.

Match the Attributes of Triangle Worksheet

Boost triangle identification skills with this engaging worksheet on matching triangle attributes.

Represent a Set of Data Worksheet

Be on your way to become a mathematician by practicing to represent a set of data.

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1st Grade Math Word Problems Worksheets

Grade 1 word problems.

These grade 1 word problem worksheets relate first grade math concepts to the real world. The word problems cover addition, subtraction, time, money, fractions and lengths.

We encourage students to think about the problems carefully by:

• providing a number of mixed word problem worksheets;
• sometimes including irrelevant data within word problems.

Addition word problems

Single digit addition

Addition with sums 50 or less

3 or more numbers added together

Subtraction word problems

Subtracting single digit numbers

Subtracting numbers under 50

Mixed addition and subtraction word problems

Add / subtract word problems with mostly single digit numbers

Add / subtract word problems with numbers under 50

Time word problems

Time and elapsed time problems (whole hours)

Money word problems

Counting money (coins only)

Measurement word problems

Combining and comparing lengths (inches)

Combining and comparing lengths (cm)

Fraction word problems

Write the fraction from the story (parts of whole, parts of group)

Mixed word problems

Addition, subtraction, money, time, fractions and length word problems mixed  

Sample Grade 1 Word Problem Worksheet

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Explore all of our math word problem worksheets , from kindergarten through grade 5.

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Problem and Solution for First Grade

• Read Alouds , Reading & Literacy

Being able to easily identify the problem and solution in a story is a foundational reading comprehension skill for first grade students.

It's an activity that can be done with every single read aloud.

It can (and should) be done whole group, in small group, with partners, in literacy stations and during independent reading.

It's also a great skill for parents to work on at home. 

Describing the problem includes:

• Identifying the problem the character(s) is experiencing in the beginning of the story
• Asking questions and making predictions about possible upcoming events and about possible ways to solve the problem
• Understanding how the events and characters influence the problem throughout the story

Describing the solution includes: 

• Confirming or revising predictions about the resolution
• Explaining how the resolution solves the problem
• Describing what happens to the character(s) because of the resolution

Examples of Problem and Solution

You might be totally comfortable with the topic of problem and solution, but when we are in the moment in front of 22 little faces, sometime we blank! 

It's time to give our students examples of what Problem and Solution is…

but we've got nothing! 

It helps to think of a few examples ahead of time and jot them down. 

Examples of problem and solution work best if the are real life examples that the students can relate to! 

Here's a few examples from the school day: 

• Your pencil breaks
• You can't find your book
• You forgot your lunch
• You can't remember the directions
• You left your jacket on the playground
• You don't know how to tie your shoes
• You need a supply that another student is using

By using these real-life examples, you are not only teaching problem and solution, but you are reinforcing your classroom management as well!

How to Introduce Problem and Solution for First Grade

If you teach lower elementary, then you know that there is SO much that goes into the comprehension of a book. First grade students are learning so much at this age and even listening comprehension requires their little brains to work so hard.

Why do I bring this up?

Because I want you to think about how hard they are ALREADY working when they are listening to a read aloud and when you use a mentor text to introduce a NEW SKILL, most students’ brains go into overload!

So what should we do instead?

Start with a non-text activity. Let me introduce you to a new kind of “slideshow”. 

I like to use interactive slideshows/powerpoints. My slideshows always follow this order: 

• Teaching Slides: Introduces students to WHAT the skill is
• Guided Practice: Introduces students to HOW to apply the skill
• Interactive Practice: Gives students an example and allows them to PRACTICE the skill in an easy and concise way

Problem and Solution Non-Text Activities for First Grade

After we practice the slideshow, then we practice building our problem and solution muscles with some guided and independent practice using a NON-TEXT ACTIVITY such as a station game.

Non-text activities are a HUGE asset to students because it allows them to build and flex their problem and solution muscles before we ask them to apply those skills to a text! 

How to Complete the Activity

We will do this activity together as a group first, then it will move into our guided reading stations where students will complete it independently!

I've found the best and easiest way to do this is with images of problems/solutions that my first grade students know a lot about. 

My students do this Problem and Solution activity (seen on the right). We do one together as a class for guided practice. 

For this activity, students must correctly match the problem and solution. Then I have students write about the problem and solution with an emphasis on why the solution actually works for this problem.

After we do this activity together, it goes into their stations for Guided Reading. 

The best part about this activity is that you can leave it out for several weeks because each time students can choose a new set of pictures! 

Mentor Texts for Problem and Solution

A mentor text is an incredibly powerful tool for teaching reading comprehension skills! 

(make sure you keep reading to the end of this post to see a list of my favorite mentor texts for problem & solution)

The problem that many teachers run into with mentor texts is that there are SO MANY different skills you can teach with the same mentor text….

Sometimes we try to do TOO MUCH and we overwhelm our students! 

Let me introduce you to a Comprehension Focus Question (CFQ). 

A CFQ is one question that you focus on through the entire text! 

It simplifies things for you and your students. (more on that later)…

But let's take a minute to dispel so myths about mentor texts..

A mentor text is NOT a book that you read once and put it away.

A mentor text is a book that you read once, then refer back to again and again and again.

The greatest benefit of a good mentor text is that after you have read it once, when you refer back to it, you aren’t reading the entire book again, you are simply referring back to one or two pages.

It will save you SO much time.

AND students are already familiar with the story line meaning that already have a foundation for whatever comprehension skill you are about to dive into!

How to Boost Comprehension for Problem & Solution

Comprehension Focus Questions

As I mentioned, a Comprehension Focus Question (CFQ) is a very focused and intentional comprehension goal for an activity, a week or even a unit.

If you have done your research and you understand your learning standard, the vocabulary and what students need to know…

Then it becomes very easy to choose a goal (or a comprehension focus question).

But, why do you need a comprehension goal?

To stay FOCUSED!

Not just for you, but for your students also!

Let’s look at an example. Let’s say that this week you are focusing on how to make an inference. Well, there are about a hundred different ways you can make an inference and a CFQ allows you to focus on one area at a time.

Example CFQ: “How Did The Character Change From ___ To ____?”

In this comprehension focus question, you and your students are focusing in on the characters of the story.

The great thing about CFQ’s is that the next time you pull out this mentor text, you can choose a different CFQ to focus on while still practicing how to make an inference!

Sentence Stems

Another great strategy that falls right in long with mentor texts and comprehension focus questions is sentence stems.

A sentence stem is a phrase that your first grade students will use to answer a comprehension question.

Sentence stems are designed to get students to answer comprehension questions more fully rather than giving one word answers.

Sentence stems encourage students to explain their thinking.

I like to have a list of sentence stems next to my table that are specific to each comprehension skill. I stick to one or two stems per skill for the entire year because I want my students to be consistent. (This also makes it a lot easier for them)

If we are sticking with our Make an Inference example, I would use the following sentence stems:

I Think ___ Because____.   

I Read This ____ So I Think _____

Problem and Solution Activities for First Grade

All of the activities that you found in this post, both printable and digital, along with UNIT LESSON PLANS can be found in my Problem and Solution Bundle here.

You can save up to 20% by purchasing the items together, but you can also purchase individual items to better fit your needs!

Best Books for Problem and Solution

**You can use the recording sheet from the Problem and Solution station with all of these read alouds!

More First Grade Favorites

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Kristen Sullins

I am a current Elementary Librarian and Enrichment Teacher, mother of two, follower of Christ and Texas native. In my own classroom, I love to save time by finding unique ways to integrate writing, social studies and science into all parts of my day. I also love all things organization!

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Problem solving

Problem solving lesson plan

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Problem Solving: Lesson plan

Problem solving: Presentation slides

Demonstrating your skills quick fire activity

Problem solving in practice: Interactive worksheet

Our problem solving content focuses on one of these skills and develops understanding of the six stages of problem solving, as well as identifying different types of situations in which young people might already be using these skills. Furthermore, it encourages them to use an adaptive approach, explaining that different types of problems can be approached in different ways.

The activities on this page support your teaching of these skills through an independent activity, quick activities or a full length, curriculum-linked lesson plan. 

Teaching resources:

• Problem solving: Lesson plan and presentation slides – full lesson plan including icebreaker for use with a group of students in the classroom
• Demonstrating your skills: Quick-fire activity  – 10 minute activity for a group of students in the classroom, can be used as an icebreaker for the lesson plan
• Problem solving in practice: Interactive worksheet – activity for independent learning whether remote or in class

Lesson plan

(60 -75 minutes)

This lesson is designed to equip young people with an adaptable approach to solving problems, large or small. It includes a short film and scenarios that encourage development of practical problem solving skills which can be useful for learning, day to day life, and when in employment.

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify problems of different scales and what is needed to solve them
• Illustrate the use of an adaptable approach to solving problems
• Understand that problem solving is a core transferable skill and identify its usefulness in a work setting
• Work on a problem solving activity in a team

The lesson aims to reinforce students’ understanding of the potential future applications of this skill as they move into the world of work, particularly in an activity differentiated for an older or more able group on creating new opportunities.

Quick-fire activity

(5 - 10 minutes)

The demonstrating your skills quick-fire activity focuses on helping young people understand the key skills that are needed in the workplace, including the importance of problem solving.

Students will be asked to name the skills being demonstrated in a variety of scenarios, and identify ways they’re already using those skills in this short activity.

You might find it useful as a starter or icebreaker activity to begin a lesson, or at the end to allow students to put what they have just learnt in the Problem solving lesson into practice.

Interactive worksheet

(20 - 25 minutes)

Please note that students below the age of 14 cannot sign up for their own LifeSkills account. Any independent tasks must be printed or downloaded and provided digitally for them to complete as they are currently hosted on educator pages.

The Problem solving in practice interactive worksheet introduces some of the themes from the full lesson plan and gives students some practical strategies for problem solving, including introducing the six stages of problem solving. The worksheet can be printed or completed digitally, so can be used flexibly to give students practise putting their problem solving skills into action. You might choose to assign it:

• As homework following the Problem solving lesson
• For independent study
• For remote learning

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Other lessons that may prove useful for students to build on these activities include the  Adaptability  and  Innovation and idea generation  lessons. Alternatively, consider encouraging them to apply their skills through  Steps to starting a business  or the  Social action toolkit .

Why not build problem solving in as a focus in your students’ wider curriculum? Refer to our  Content guide to find out how this resources can be used as part of your teaching.

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Why not try one of these next?

Staying positive (resilience)

Staying positive and learning through experience are key to succeeding in challenging situations. Try this lesson and help your students succeed at work.

Good leadership styles and effective teamwork can help students excel in their future workplace. Read more about team leader skills in this lesson.

Social action toolkit

Build a comprehensive social action programme and support young people to access enriching experiences that build transferable skills for work.

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Problem Solving

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First graders explore problems and solutions. In this math lesson plan, 1st graders brainstorm problems they have encountered and how they solved them. Then students watch a video about how professionals solve problems. After sharing their own ideas, students illustrate a problem and solution and share it with the class.

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Problem-solving skills are necessary in all areas of life, and classroom problem solving activities can be a great way to get students prepped and ready to solve real problems in real life scenarios. Whether in school, work or in their social relationships, the ability to critically analyze a problem, map out all its elements and then prepare a workable solution is one of the most valuable skills one can acquire in life.

Educating your students about problem solving skills from an early age in school can be facilitated through classroom problem solving activities. Such endeavors encourage cognitive as well as social development, and can equip students with the tools they’ll need to address and solve problems throughout the rest of their lives. Here are five classroom problem solving activities your students are sure to benefit from as well as enjoy doing:

1. Brainstorm bonanza

Having your students create lists related to whatever you are currently studying can be a great way to help them to enrich their understanding of a topic while learning to problem-solve. For example, if you are studying a historical, current or fictional event that did not turn out favorably, have your students brainstorm ways that the protagonist or participants could have created a different, more positive outcome. They can brainstorm on paper individually or on a chalkboard or white board in front of the class.

2. Problem-solving as a group

Have your students create and decorate a medium-sized box with a slot in the top. Label the box “The Problem-Solving Box.” Invite students to anonymously write down and submit any problem or issue they might be having at school or at home, ones that they can’t seem to figure out on their own. Once or twice a week, have a student draw one of the items from the box and read it aloud. Then have the class as a group figure out the ideal way the student can address the issue and hopefully solve it.

3. Clue me in

This fun detective game encourages problem-solving, critical thinking and cognitive development. Collect a number of items that are associated with a specific profession, social trend, place, public figure, historical event, animal, etc. Assemble actual items (or pictures of items) that are commonly associated with the target answer. Place them all in a bag (five-10 clues should be sufficient.) Then have a student reach into the bag and one by one pull out clues. Choose a minimum number of clues they must draw out before making their first guess (two- three). After this, the student must venture a guess after each clue pulled until they guess correctly. See how quickly the student is able to solve the riddle.

4. Survivor scenarios

Create a pretend scenario for students that requires them to think creatively to make it through. An example might be getting stranded on an island, knowing that help will not arrive for three days. The group has a limited amount of food and water and must create shelter from items around the island. Encourage working together as a group and hearing out every child that has an idea about how to make it through the three days as safely and comfortably as possible.

5. Moral dilemma

Create a number of possible moral dilemmas your students might encounter in life, write them down, and place each item folded up in a bowl or bag. Some of the items might include things like, “I saw a good friend of mine shoplifting. What should I do?” or “The cashier gave me an extra $1.50 in change after I bought candy at the store. What should I do?” Have each student draw an item from the bag one by one, read it aloud, then tell the class their answer on the spot as to how they would handle the situation.

Classroom problem solving activities need not be dull and routine. Ideally, the problem solving activities you give your students will engage their senses and be genuinely fun to do. The activities and lessons learned will leave an impression on each child, increasing the likelihood that they will take the lesson forward into their everyday lives.

You may also like to read

• Classroom Activities for Introverted Students
• Activities for Teaching Tolerance in the Classroom
• 5 Problem-Solving Activities for Elementary Classrooms
• 10 Ways to Motivate Students Outside the Classroom
• Motivating Introverted Students to Excel in the Classroom
• How to Engage Gifted and Talented Students in the Classroom

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How to Teach Geometry to Your Kids

reviewed by Jo-ann Caballes

Updated on September 4, 2024

Kids who struggle with math topics usually turn to their parents for help first. But what if the only thing you remember from a geometry class is that it’s incredibly hard? Explaining geometry when you’re a little rusty yourself can be a tricky thing to do. Yet we have a couple of teaching geometry ideas that will help you lead your kid through geometry storms.  

How Brighterly Teaches Geometry  

At Brighterly, we understand that teaching subjects like geometry can be a real hassle for parents. First of all, we want you to understand this is completely normal. Geometry requires more than a basic understanding of math concepts, and it doesn’t come naturally to all children, let alone parents who haven’t been at the school desk for decades. In this case, hiring an experienced math tutor to help your kid understand geometry concepts better might be a good idea. Here are the main aspects of how Brighterly teaches geometry. 

Interactive learning 

• Expert-driven tutors  
• Across-the-board curriculum  
• Instant feedback and progress reports

Interactive learning is one of the best ways to learn geometry. Abstract concepts (which are usually the case in geometry) are not easy to grasp on the first try. Things like understanding shapes, spatial reasoning, and the relationships between different figures are best perceived through interactive learning that involves dynamic software and hands-on activities. Brighterly is fully dedicated to making learning geometry fun through a combination of videos, games, and worksheets. This play-based learning approach fosters a positive attitude towards geometry and math in general.

Join Brighterly for personalized lessons for your child

Meet the best tutors for interactive math learning.

Expert-driven tutors 

Professional tutors can guide students through developing skills like a systematic approach to problem-solving and spatial reasoning, enhancing their overall understanding and real-world application of geometry. This deep understanding will help kids stay eager and motivated to learn geometry. 

Across-the-board curriculum 

Teaching geometry is hard until you have a comprehensive curriculum at hand. Brighterly tutors are equipped with an across-the-board curriculum fully aligned with the US school standards. This ensures your kid will be in the loop with what’s going on in the classroom while getting a personalized learning experience. 

Instant feedback and progress reports 

Teaching subjects like geometry requires continuous feedback. Along with immediate feedback during the session, you get regular progress reports from your Brighterly tutor. They include information about how well your kid is assimilating information as well as the areas of growth and knowledge gaps. This way, parents, tutors, and kids can all be on the same page.

How to help your child with Geometry

There is no easy way to learn geometry but there are definitely fun ways to learn geometry. If geometry is explained in a fun, engaging, and interactive way, it can be fascinating for kids of all ages. Since geometry is present in our everyday lives, showing how we can apply it in real-life scenarios can feel like throwing a lifeline for those who feel frustrated and bored while learning it. Here are a couple of steps to incorporate in your geometry teaching to make it more bearable. 

Teaching Geometry Step #1: Show kids that geometry is everywhere

Geometry for kids shouldn’t end in the classroom; shapes are everywhere. Try taking your kid for a “geometry walk”—look at the houses, trees, and other objects. Depending on your kid’s age, ask them to identify different shapes, measure the distance between them, or comprehend the rotation of some of the figures. Art can be another way to introduce geometry to children: mosaics, mandalas, and modern art, where geometric patterns are prominent, serve as good examples of different forms and how they are structured together. 

Teaching Geometry Step #2: Add some hands-on activities

One of the greatest approaches to helping your child understand geometry is to have it relate to their day-to-day life. But a long conversation about how geometry applies to real life won’t be enough. You have to connect geometric concepts with activities done daily. 

Stephanie Edenburgh, CEO of Bizzie Mommy, emphasizes that children learning through hands-on approaches are more likely to retain information and understand mathematical concepts. She shares her own experience:

“For example, during the activity of cooking, I involve my kids in assisting me with measuring ingredients and pointing out different shapes and volumes”

Teaching Geometry Step #3: Use technology 

Another useful tip for teaching subjects like geometry is using technology. Learning applications and online resources make learning geometry quite interactive and fun. For instance, many applications can be used to show geometry interactively, whereby students draw shapes and angles, among other things.

Stephanie says:

“This has worked wonders with my kids and is in line with research that has found interactive learning to increase a child's grasp of geometric concepts significantly”

Teaching Geometry Step #4: Set a learning space 

Learning spaces where children can experience geometry can spark creativity, curiosity, and engagement. Hands-on activities with manipulatives can significantly boost children’s understanding of geometry. These manipulatives include building blocks, pattern blocks, tangrams, and geoboards. 

Stephanie has shared a story from her experience with us:

“I once recall my firstborn having trouble with angles”

Teaching Geometry Step #5: Use projects to help you teach geometry 

Project-based learning is a great way to engage your kids with the subject while teaching geometry lessons. It creates a deeper interaction with the received information, develops problem-solving skills, and strengthens the relationship between you and your kid.  How exactly do you use projects to teach geometry to your children? You can build a Lego city using different combinations of shapes. Not only does it promote geometry, but it also helps your kid to comprehend mathematics, algorithms, and physics!

Help your kid achieve their full math potential

The best Brighterly tutors are ready to help with that.

What is the best way to teach geometry to your kids?

The best way to teach geometry to your kids involves combining various strategies and techniques to provide them with as many useful tools as possible. Some parents choose to 

teach subjects like geometry themselves, while others prefer hiring a trusted tutor who is deeply committed. Let’s explore the pros and cons of each approach. 

Parents teaching geometry

While it may seem easier and more budget-friendly to teach geometry to your children, it does involve a fair amount of research and preparation. Some parents spend as much as hours researching math and how to teach math concepts to their kids, and that doesn’t include teaching itself. On the other hand, teaching geometry can bring you closer to your youngster, strengthening your relationship further—that, of course, if your teaching strategies correspond with your kid’s needs and preferences. 

Tutors teaching geometry

Professional online tutoring does come with a certain amount of additional expenses, especially if your child is falling behind and needs a little more time to catch up. That being said, your child will still get professional math assistance at a convenient time and place. Tutors are already equipped with tools, worksheets, and ready-made tasks that can be altered and tailored for your kids. 

To sum it all up, teaching geometry to your kids can be an ordeal if you’re not entirely sure of how to do it in the right way. When parents aren’t really ready for geometry lessons, it is not something out of the ordinary—this is completely normal for most families. In this case, hiring a trusted tutor from an online math tutor platform like Brighterly can be a great option for such families. Overall, teaching kids geometry requires time for preparation, research, and even a learning space. Does tutoring sound like a better way for you? Look no further. Brighterly’s got your back on the whole geometry conundrum, offering you professional tutors, flexibility, and personalized learning for your little one. 

Book a demo lesson with Brighterly now so that your kid feels like a geometry rockstar!

I am a seasoned math tutor with over seven years of experience in the field. Holding a Master’s Degree in Education, I take great joy in nurturing young math enthusiasts, regardless of their age, grade, and skill level. Beyond teaching, I am passionate about spending time with my family, reading, and watching movies. My background also includes knowledge in child psychology, which aids in delivering personalized and effective teaching strategies.

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How phonics is making a comeback as millions of kids struggle to read

"I will get teared up because I think I can't read," fourth grader Raven said.

Learning to read isn't fair.

It comes naturally for some students. But for others it's a frustrating, agonizing process that, if left unaddressed, can cause long-standing academic problems.

Ask D'Mekeus Cook Jr., a fourth grader from Louisiana, who was reading at a kindergarten level when he started second grade two years ago. Or Journey, another fourth grader from Ohio, who said when she comes across an unfamiliar word it makes her feel "sad." They have both struggled to read -- and they're not alone.

MORE: Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds lowest in a decade, report finds

A combination of under-funded schools, educator shortages, inadequate teacher preparation and months of lost learning due to pandemic school closures have caused a resurgence of concern about kids' reading ability. But Department of Education data reviewed by ABC News show this reading problem has persisted in America for decades.

According to the Education Department's National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "The Nation's Report Card," roughly one-third of American fourth graders read at or below what's considered the basic level. This has been the case since 1992.

Scores slightly increase as students get older, but not by much. In eighth grade, about one-fourth of students do not read at what's considered the basic achievement level. That percentage stays about the same for high schoolers.

To document America's reading crisis, ABC News traveled to schools in several states, met families of kids struggling to grasp basic reading skills, and spoke with educators in a race against time to help their students read before they get too old.

"The older that a child gets, the harder it is to go back and put things in the toolbox," Carla Pleasant, a 33-year teaching veteran in Ohio, told ABC News. "It can be done and it is being done, but it is a tough job."

'Reading is the basis of everything'

Pleasant, is a teacher in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, about 20 minutes from Cleveland. In the school district, ABC News met dozens of students who were in summer school, trying to develop the most basic reading skills -- a task some described as particularly daunting.

"I get frustrated when I'm reading sometimes," fourth grader Raven told ABC News. "I will get teared up because I think I can't read, because it's so hard."

MORE: Children hit hardest by the pandemic are now the big kids at school. Many still need reading help

Over the summer, Raven's class was working hard on intensive reading lessons using what's called phonics.

The instruction essentially employs a more rigorous version of "sounding out a word" -- vocalizing the sounds of letters and parts of words -- a long-utilized method of teaching that, for one reason or another, fell out of vogue in some school districts across the country.

"It's helping them crack the code," said reading specialist Shantelle Barhorst, who was teaching the Ohio class. "We don't want them guessing the word, we want to give them the tools necessary so that they can sound out that word."

But Warrensville Heights didn't always teach reading this way.

Roughly a decade ago, their solution to reach struggling readers included a teaching style called balanced literacy, still popular in many schools across the country. The method is designed to develop a love of reading and a comfort with books. It can also involve suggesting students guess certain words and even to look at pictures to decipher the words on the page, something instructors took to calling "picture power."

Pleasant, who said "reading is the basis of everything," disagreed with a push for balanced literacy, instead opting to teach phonics -- out of sight from administrators.

"Keeping it secret from the bosses, but getting success in the classroom," she told ABC News. "I knew it was working. I knew that memorizing things and just pushing things on kids was not going to teach them to love reading."

A new administration eventually followed Pleasant's phonics-focused lead and Warrensville Heights went from sliding reading scores and an impending state takeover of the district's schools, to an A rating with the state of Ohio.

MORE: Video How to keep kids learning amid worsening math and reading scores

The 'reading wars'.

The campaign for reading-education reform hasn't gone without pushback.

Critics say the "science of reading" is an educational fad and there's no one-size-fits-all solution to the nation's reading problems, which are compounded by under-funded schools, poverty and other social issues.

And proponents of balanced literacy say their approach does teach some phonics, arguing that students who are repeatedly drilled on decoding words are done a disservice because they won't have a passion for books.

Dr. Kymyona Burk is Mississippi's former literacy director and currently with the education non-profit founded by Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, ExcelinEd. She told ABC News "those are strategies that poor readers use," citing specific balanced-literacy lessons that include guessing words and looking at pictures.

The back-and-forth has led to years of intense debate among educators, often referred to as "The Reading Wars."

"Everybody thinks they are doing the right thing. Nobody thinks they are evil," Dr. P. David Pearson, an education expert and professor at the Berkeley School of Education, told ABC News. "They all think they're doing what's best for kids. They just read the research differently."

MORE: Could a different method of teaching address low education scores?

"They also have very different definitions of what it means to be a reader," he added.

Pearson cautioned that, while NAEP scores give an accurate snapshot of the nation's reading challenges, the years of students reading below basic levels shouldn't be considered an indictment against balanced literacy or any other teaching style because of non-academic variables affecting students.

The Mississippi 'Miracle'

The success in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, was modeled after a classroom marvel found in what education experts once considered the unlikeliest of places: Mississippi.

A decade ago, the state's fourth grade students ranked last in reading -- 50th out of 50 states. Today, Mississippi is 21st in the nation in literacy. In some education circles, that seemingly impossible turnaround earned the title "The Mississippi Miracle."

Burk explained to ABC News in her first network television interview how she and her colleagues pulled off the Mississippi improvement by pushing for teaching methods, such as phonics, which she says were virtually missing in Mississippi schools.

Burk said Mississippi schools were just graduating kids who didn't know how to read.

"It's happened all across the country," she said to ABC News' Jay O'Brien.

Burk is pushing for other schools to follow Mississippi's lead.

By the start of this school year, ExcelinEd found at least 30 states, including Washington, D.C., and New York City, the nation's largest public school district, required phonics-based "science of reading" policies to address the sagging scores.

That includes Ohio, where Gov. Mike DeWine is backing a law requiring "science of reading" instruction and pushing schools to model themselves after Warrensville Heights.

MORE: One way to boost students' scores? Help teachers conquer their math anxiety

'reading is the key to life'.

The coronavirus pandemic and at-home instruction brought the reading dilemma to students' front doors.

"There were some moments with parents who were sitting at dinner tables with their children and they were realizing for the first time that their child is struggling," Burk told ABC News.

That's when D'Mekeus and Kezne' Cook discovered their son, D'Mekeus Jr., was behind.

"It's almost as if we question ourselves, like, is our child the only one going through this?" his father said. "Reading gives you the opening door to everything we do in life. Reading is the key to life."

Louisiana, where the Cooks live, is another state that recently overhauled its reading curriculum, trying to help hundreds of thousands of underperforming students by focusing on phonics and other "science of reading" education.

"We needed a reading revival in our state," said Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "I think the educational system lost its way at some point around this. Confusing tactics were employed to teach children how to read."

As part of their reading initiative, Louisiana also created a program giving students a $1,000 voucher for private reading tutoring, which is what has helped D'Mekeus Jr. attend regular tutoring sessions at a Sylvan Learning Center near his home in Lafayette.

"[Students and parents] are so excited, and they cry in my office, because it's life changing," said Christy Sharon, who has owned the tutoring center for more than 25 years.

Louisiana's program is still new and it remains to be seen if it will have the success of Warrensville Heights or the state of Mississippi. Dr. Brumley says early results have been promising, but the state has a long way to go.

Sharon told ABC News that schools across the country are facing a dilemma when it comes to helping kids master reading while they're young. But there is still hope, she said.

"[If] we can get these children early, and we can teach them to read, they can do anything," she said.

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