What kids learn in 1st grade
First grade turns counting into calculating. Children work toward adding and subtracting within 20 without counting every object, solve story problems, find missing numbers in equations like 8 + ? = 11, and count all the way to 120. Place value arrives: 47 is 4 tens and 7 ones, which is what makes comparing and adding two-digit numbers possible. Telling time to the hour and half hour and splitting shapes into halves and fourths round out the year.
In reading, first graders tell short and long vowels apart, read digraphs like sh, ch and th, use word families, and start answering questions about what they read and the order events happened. Writing focuses on spelling common words, nouns and verbs, capital letters, end punctuation and plurals. Science and life skills cover what animals need, day and night, and healthy habits.
1st grade math
- Adding within 20 — Fluently add within 20.Free practice
- Subtracting within 20 — Fluently subtract within 20.Free practice
- Missing addend problems — Solve 8 + ? = 11.Free practice
- Counting to 120 — Count on from any number to 120.Free practice
- Tens and ones — Understand two-digit place value.Free practice
- Comparing two-digit numbers — Compare two-digit numbers with <, >, =.Free practice
- Adding tens — Add a two-digit number and a multiple of 10.Free practice
- Skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s — Count by 2s, 5s and 10s.Free practice
- Telling time to the half hour — Read clocks to the hour and half hour.Free practice
- Word problems within 20 — Add and subtract word problems within 20.Free practice
- Sides and corners of shapes — Count sides and corners of shapes.Free practice
- Halves and fourths — Split shapes into equal shares.Free practice
1st grade reading
- Sight words — Read first-grade sight words.
- Short & long vowels — Tell short and long vowel sounds apart.
- sh, ch, th & blends — Read digraphs and consonant blends.
- Word families — Read -at, -an, -ig, -op words and more.
- Read & answer — Read short passages and answer questions.
- What happened first? — Put story events in order.
1st grade spelling & grammar
- Spell sight words — Spell common first-grade words.
- Nouns & verbs — Naming words and action words.
- Capitals & end marks — Start with a capital, end with . ? or !
- One or many — Make plurals with -s and -es.
- Build a sentence — Put mixed-up words in order.
1st grade science & life skills
- What animals need — Food, water, shelter and air.
- Day & night sky — Sun, moon, stars and shadows.
- Healthy habits — Sleep, food, exercise and hygiene.
Looking for another grade? Kindergarten, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade.