First grade math for ages 6 to 7
Ages 6–7 · US Grade 1 · England Year 2
At ages 6 to 7, children become fluent with addition and subtraction within 20, learn place value with tens and ones, add within 100, tell time and read simple graphs. Mathumo builds fluency from strategies such as making ten, not from timed drills.
What children learn, unit by unit
Adding and subtracting
- Adding three numbers
- Turnaround facts and making ten
- Fluent mental adding and subtracting within 20
Tens and ones
- Place value
- Comparing two-digit numbers
- Adding within 100
- 10 more and 10 less
- Estimating on a 0 to 100 number line
Equations and stories
- Start-unknown and compare problems
- One-step word problems within 100
Measures and scales
- Choosing a measuring tool
- Estimating length
- How much longer?
- Length word problems
Time and data
- Sorting data into categories
- Time to the nearest 5 minutes
- Picture graphs and bar graphs
Money
- Money problems
- The same amount two ways
- Giving change
2s, 5s and 10s
- Odd and even
- Arrays and repeated addition
- Multiplying and dividing by 2, 5 and 10
Fractions
- More shares make smaller shares
- Halves, thirds and fourths
Shapes and moves
- Defining attributes of shapes
- Composite shapes
- Symmetry
Standards it covers
- 1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency within 10.
- 1.NBT.B.2 Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent tens and ones.
- 1.NBT.C.4 Add within 100 using models, strategies and place value.
- 1.MD.B.3 Tell and write time in hours and half-hours.
Mathumo is built on US standards: Common Core (K–2) and Head Start (Preschool). No endorsement by those bodies is implied.
How Mathumo teaches it
Hands-on boards instead of multiple choice:
- Base-ten blocks
- Number lines and trails
- Clocks
- Graphs
- Fraction cutting
Free games for this age
Make Ten Match
Find two cards that add up to 10 and match them.
- Ages 5–7
- Pairs that make 10
- Bonds to 5 and 20
Sum Rockets
Give each rocket the right fuel number and light up the sky.
- Ages 5–7
- Addition facts to 10 and 20
- Counting on
Hop Back
Hop back along the number line to find the answer.
- Ages 5–8
- Subtraction within 10 and 20
- Counting back on a number line
River Race
Paddle against Mathumo: each right answer moves your boat forward.
- Ages 6–8
- Two-digit addition
- Two-digit subtraction
Coin Shop
Run the shop: pay with coins and give the right change.
- Ages 6–8
- Counting coins
- Paying an exact amount
Fraction Kitchen
Cut pizzas and pies into equal parts and serve the right fraction.
- Ages 6–8
- Halves, thirds and quarters
- Equal parts
Shut the Box
Roll the dice, then close tiles that add up to the roll. Can you close them all?
- Ages 5–8
- Addition within 12
- Number bonds
Tangram Workshop
Fill each picture with shapes: turn them, flip them, make them fit.
- Ages 4–8
- Composing shapes
- Turning and flipping
Sudoku for Kids
Shape and number puzzles with one answer each.
- Ages 4–8
- Logical thinking
- Shapes and numbers 1 to 6
Guides for parents
Practical help for teaching first grade math at home.
Even and odd numbers: the pairing trick for kids
A number is even if objects split into pairs with none left over. Teach even and odd numbers with pairs first, then skip counting and the last-digit rule.
Fact family in math: what it means and how to teach it at home
A fact family is the set of addition and subtraction facts that use the same three numbers. See fact triangles, examples and how they make subtraction easier.
Greater than less than: how to teach the symbols to kids
Greater than, less than and equal to start with comparing objects. Steps for teaching the > and < symbols, and what the alligator trick can and can't do.
Questions parents ask
What math should a first grader know?
By the end of US first grade (Common Core), children add and subtract within 20 and are fluent within 10, understand tens and ones, add within 100 with models, measure length with units, tell time to the half hour and split shapes into halves and fourths.
Should my 6-year-old memorise math facts?
Fluency matters, but it grows best from strategies: doubles, making ten and related facts. Mathumo practises facts in short mixed sessions with spaced review, and speed never counts against understanding.
What are the Common Core math standards for first grade?
Each Common Core first grade standard has a code. 1.OA.C.6 asks children to add and subtract within 20, with fluency within 10. 1.NBT.B.2 is about the two digits of a two-digit number standing for tens and ones, and 1.NBT.C.4 about adding within 100 using models, strategies and place value. 1.MD.B.3 covers telling time in hours and half-hours. Mathumo is built on US standards; no endorsement by Common Core is implied.