Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-1

MM 1-4

Ill start counting and you keep going

when I stop.

Give the child number cards.

Hold up the number 8; 6; 5.

1, 2, 3, ... (4, 5, 6)
5, 6, 7, ... (8, 9, 10)
7, 8, 9, ... (10, 11, 12)

Continue with all the number cards.

MM 1-5
Hold up a number card. If I were counting,
what number would come after this number?

10, 11, 12, ... (13, 14, 15)

Continue with numbers the children know.

MM 1-2
When you count what number comes after
7? (8)

6 (7)
4 (5)
9 (10)
7 (8)
14 (15)
18 (19)
Continue with all the number cards.

4? (5), 9? (10), 6? (7), 10? (11), 2? (3),

14? (15), 8? (9), 17? (18), 13? (14).
Continue with numbers the children know.

MM 1-3
Hold up a number card. What is this
number?

MM 1-6
Give the child the number cards. Hold up the
number which comes after the ones I say.

Show a 4.

Show a 5.

8 (9)
4 (5)
9 (10)
7 (8)
14 (15)
18 (19)

Continue with all the number cards.

Continue with all the number cards.

Show a 7.
Show a 9.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-7

MM 1-11

What number am I thinking of? It is more

than 3 and less than 5. (4)

Show students 1 piece of chalk. Show

them an empty box of chalk. They are to
estimate how many pieces of chalk would
fit in the box.

Practice with different numbers.

Show them other objects and containers.

MM 1-8

MM 1-12

Close your eyes. Estimate how many

tables, windows, or book cases, etc. are in
the room.

MM 1-9

Show two sets of objects for a very short

period of time (counters, unifix cubes,
bundles of sticks, coins, etc.). Tell how
many are in one set. Show the sets again
briefly. Ask the children to determine the
number in the other set. Give the children
hints to help them in determining the
number.

Teacher holds crayons in hand. Show

students hand of crayons. Students
estimate how many crayons are in
teachers hand.

MM 1-13

Repeat with other objects in your hand.

MM 1-10
Every student takes out 1 pencil. Ask
students to estimate how many of a certain
color are in their row or group.
Check to make sure.

Count on 2 starting with 7 (8, 9), 9 (10,

11), 12 (13, 14), 8 (9, 10).
Continue with other numbers the child
knows. Have the child count on 3 more,
but no higher. If the child has difficulty,
have him/her say the starting number softly
and the other numbers louder.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-14

MM 1-17

Start counting from 4 and count to 6.

How many did you count? (2)

What is 7 plus 1? (8)

What is 5 plus 2? (7)

Have the child say the first number softly

and the next ones louder - raising a finger
for each one he counts after 4.

What is 8 plus 0? (8)

What is 4 plus 3? (7)

Start with 8 and count to 11. How many

did you count? (3)

Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only add

0, 1, 2, or 3.

Repeat, starting with other numbers, but

do not have the child count on more than
3.

MM 1-15

MM 1-18

Hold up two number cards and have the

child count from the smaller to the larger
and tell you how many she/he counted.
The numbers should be no more than 3
apart.

Hold up two number cards. Both should be

less than 10. One of the cards should be 0,
1, 2, or 3.
Hold up 6 and 2. If I added these
numbers, what would I have? (8)
Repeat for any other numbers.

MM 1-16
What is 2 more than 5? (7)
What is 1 more than 8? (9)
What is 3 more than 7? (10)
What is 0 more than 6? (6)
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only use
0, 1, 2, 3 more than.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-19

MM 1-22

Present story problems to the children

which involve addition.

How many sides does a square have? (4)

Peter had 4 blue shirts and 3 brown shirts.

How many did he have in all? (7)

How many corners does a triangle have?

(3)
Draw a square.

Jane lost 2 marbles. She only had 2 left.

How many did she have before? (4)

Draw a triangle.

Frances owned 3 dogs. His mother gave

him 2 more. How many dogs does he
have now? (5)

MM 1-23

Continue. One of the numbers should be

0, 1, 2, or 3. Use the words all together, in
all, find the total and find the sum.

Bill has a rectangular shaped toy and Darin

has a triangular shaped toy. Which toy has
the most sides? (rectangular) How many
more sides? (1)
Draw a toy which has a rectangular shape.

MM 1-20
Do you know an object shaped like a
circle?
triangle?

MM 1-24
Ill start counting backwards and you keep
going when I stop.

rectangle?
6, 5, 4, ... (3, 2, 1)
Continue with other shapes.
10, 9, 8, ... (7, 6, 5)
MM 1-21
Continue.
Draw a shape on the board. Ask the
students to name an object shaped like
this.
Repeat with other shapes.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-25

MM 1-27

When you count, what number comes

before 7? (6)

Count back 2, starting with 7. (6, 5)

10 (9, 8)

8? (7)
13 (12, 11)
9? (8)
8 (7, 6)
5? (4)
11? (10)

Continue with numbers the children know.

Have the child count back 3 from various
numbers.

Continue.

MM 1-26

MM 1-28

Hold up a number card. If I were

counting, what number would come before
this number?

What is 2 less than 5? (3)

6? (5)

What is 3 less than 6? (3)

4? (3)

What is 0 less than 9? (9)

7? (6)

Repeat for numbers less than 10. Use only

0, 1, 2, or 3 less than.

What is 1 less than 7? (6)

8? (7)
Continue.

Repeat for many days during the time the

students are learning the subtraction facts
involving 0, 1, 2, and 3.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-29

MM 1-31

What is 7 minus 1? (6)

Hold up two number cards and have the

children count back from the larger to the
smaller and tell you how many she/he
counted. The numbers should be no further
than 3 apart.

What is 8 minus 3? (5)

What is 9 minus 2? (7)
What is 10 minus 0? (10)
Repeat for numbers 10 or less. Only
minus numbers 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Repeat for many days during the time the
students are learning the subtraction facts
involving 0, 1, 2 and 3.

MM 1-32
Start counting from 7 and count back to 4.
How many did you count? (3)
Start with 8 and count back to 6. How
many did you count? (2)
Continue with other numbers, never having
the child count back more than 3.

MM 1-30
Kim had 7 cookies. She gave 2 cookies
to her friend. How many cookies does
Kim have left? (5)
There are 8 girls in the swings. 3 went
away to play. How many are left? (5)
Mark had 9 flowers in his garden.
Someone took away 1. How many did
Mark have left? (8)
Continue. One of the numbers in each
problem should be 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Repeat for many days during the time the
students are learning the subtraction facts
involving 0, 1, 2 and 3.

MM 1-33
How much larger is 6 than 4? (2) How
much larger is 7 than 6? (1) How much
larger is 9 than 6? (3)
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only use
numbers which are 0, 1, 2 or 3 apart.
Repeat for many days during the time the
students are learning the subtraction facts
with answers of 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-34

MM 1-37

What is 6 minus 4? (2)

Ruth found 8 shiny rocks in the stream.

Nancy found 2 less than Ruth. How many
rocks did Nancy find? (6)

What is 8 minus 7? (1)

What is 7 minus 4? (3)
What is 9 minus 8? (1)

Paul has 4 black dogs. Mary has 4 white

dogs. How many more dogs did Paul have
than Mary? (0)

Repeat for numbers 10 or less. Only

present numbers 0, 1, 2, or 3 apart.

Continue with how many more or less

problems.

Repeat for many days during the time the

students are learning the subtraction facts
with answers of 0, 1, 2, or 3.
MM 1-38

MM 1-35
Blaine had 5 tractors. He lost 4 of them.
How many did he have left? (1)
Alicia raised 8 hamsters. One day 6 ran
away. How many did she have left? (2)
Ronald had a pack of gum with 8 pieces
in it. He chewed 5 pieces. How many did
he have left? (3)

John has 6 tops. He bought some more

and now he has 9. How many did he buy?
(3)
Jeannie has 10 pennies. 6 are in her bank
and the rest are in her purse. How many
are in her purse? (4)
Continue with problems of this type where you ask how many were added to get
a total.

MM 1-39
Continue. In each problem the answer
should be 0, 1, 2 or 3.
MM 1-36
When the students are ready mix
subtraction problems where one number is
0, 1, 2 or 3 and when the answer is 0, 1, 2
or 3.

Make up a story to go with the numbers 6

minus 2 equals 4.
Make up a story to go with the numbers 7
minus 7 equals 0.
Continue to present subtraction facts and
have the children make up appropriate
stories.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-40

MM 1-42

Ask subtraction questions which have

additional information in them. Pick
numbers less than 10. Examples:

1. What is 6 + 3? (9)

Diane had 9 stamps. Ronnie has 7 stamps.

Sue has 12 stamps. How many more
stamps does Diane have than Ronnie? (2)

3. 9 + 2? (11)

Marty had 5 kids on his baseball team. 2

were girls and 3 were boys. How many
more kids did he need to make a team of
9? (4)

5. 5 + 5 - 3? (7)

2. 5 - 1? (4)

4. 8 - 2? (6)

MM 1-43
1. What is 4 + 4? (8)

A car going to an airport can hold 8

people. 3 seats were empty. Two people
were carrying bags in their laps. How
many seats are full?

2. 2 + 7? (9)
3. 10 - 2? (8)
4. 9 - 3? (6)
5. 7 - 2 + 3? (8)

MM 1-41

MM 1-44

1. What is 7 + 2? (9)

Count by tens to 100.

2. 8 + 3? (11)

Now start at 40 and count on by tens.

3. 8 - 3? (5)

Start at 70 and count back by tens.

4. 7 - 2? (5)

Have the child start at different numbers of

tens and count forward and back by tens.

5. 6 + 3 - 2? (7)

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-45

MM 1-47

How much is 4 tens? (40)

Say the number that is 5 tens and 2 ones.

(52)

6 tens? (60)
7 tens? (70)
How many tens in 50? (5)

Say the number that is 7 tens and 4 ones.

(74)
Say the number that is 9 tens and 1 one.
(91)

30? (3)
80? (8)
Continue with questions of this type.

Say the number that is 6 ones and 5 tens.

(56)
Say the number that is 3 ones and 8 tens.
(83)
Continue with numbers which contain tens
and ones and ones and tens.

MM 1-46

MM 1-48

Start with 40 and count on 3 more. (43)

Count by 2s to 100. Start from 0.

Start with 80 and count on 2 more. (82)

Count by 2s to 100. Start with 1.

Start with 10 and count on 7 more. (17)

Count by 2s starting from 48, 36, 64, 75,

17.

Have the child start at a given number of

tens and count on by ones. The child
could write the numbers as well.

Continue.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-49

MM 1-53

Count by 5s to 100.

Say any number that is greater than 47, 68,

17, etc.

Count by 5s starting with 20, 35, 70, 85.

Continue. Start counting from a number
with 0 or 5 in the ones digit.
MM 1-50
Count by 10s starting with 15, 23, 41, 17.
Continue.

Say any number that is less than 81, 43, 92,

etc.
Say any number that is between 41 and 46.
Between 63 and 67.
Between 78 and 81.

What number is 10 more than 26, 38, 61.

Continue.

Continue. The child could write the

number as well.

The child could write the answer as well.

MM 1-51

MM 1-54

What number comes after 32, 60, 85?

Continue.

Im thinking of a number between 20 and

40. This number has a 5 in it. What could
it be? (25 or 35)

What number comes before 17, 43, 70?

Continue.
The child could write the number as well.

Im thinking of a number between 40 and

70. The ones digit is 3. What could it
be? (43, 53 or 63)

MM 1-52

Continue with questions of this type. The

child could write the answers as well. Let
the child ask you questions of this type.

What number is between 36 and 38? (37)

Between 79 and 81? (80)
Between 27 and 29? (28)
The child could write the number as well.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-55

MM 1-58

Im thinking of a number between 1 and

100 (58). What is my number? You may
ask only questions which can be answered
yes or no. Encourage the student to ask
intelligent questions like, Is it bigger than
50? Does it have a 6 in it?, etc. Let
him/her pick a number and you ask the
questions.

What is 10 + 5? (15)
10 + 6? (16)
10 + 8? (18)
10 + 2? (12)
Repeat for all numbers between 11 and 19.

MM 1-56

MM 1-59

What is 20 + 7? (27)

What is 1 + 10? (11)

What is 30 + 4? (34)

3 + 10? (13)

What is 50 + 6? (56)

5 + 10? (15)

What is 80 + 9? (89)

2 + 10? (12)

Repeat for any number between 10 and

100. Emphasize the sounds involved. (50
+ 6 = 56)

Repeat. For these sums the sounds are not

as apparent.

MM 1-57

MM 1-60

What is 6 + 10? (16)

What is 5 + 40? (45)

What is 7 + 10? (17)

What is 6 + 70? (76)

8 + 10? (18)

What is 8 + 30? (38)

4 + 10? (14)

What is 1 plus 90? (91)

9 + 10? (19)

Repeat for any number between 10 and

100.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-61

MM 1-64

What number is 10 more than 50? (60)

Open a book to a page. State the page

number. Ask the students to estimate how
many pages are in the entire book.

What number is 30 more than 40? (70)

What number is 30 less than 50? (20)
What number is 10 less than 60? (50)

MM 1-65

Continue with 10, 20, 30 more or less than

a multiple of 10. The child could write the
numbers as well.

Estimate how many 2-digit numbers are

between 0 and 100. (timed) Dont give
students enough time to count.

MM 1-62

MM 1-66

What number is 20 more than 37? (57)

Have the children guess how many toes

there are in the row.

What number is 40 less than 63? (23)

Continue with numbers that are some
multiple of ten more or less than any
number between 11 and 99. The child
could write the number as well.

MM 1-63

Then have them guess the number of teeth

there are in every row.

MM 1-67
Which would be more: one fourth of a pie
or one third of a pie? (1/3)

If you were fifth in line, how many would

be in front of you? (4)

If Davids mother cuts a mushroom pizza

into 3 equal parts, what part of the whole
pizza is each part? (one third)

If you were third tallest in your class, how

many are taller than you? (2)

Which would be less: a glass that is half

empty or one that is half full? (neither,
both have the same amount)

Continue with problems of this type.

Always ask for the number before the
place in line.

Tom has 1 candy bar. If he eats one half of

the candy, how much does he have left to
give to Sandra? (1/2)

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-68

MM 1-71

How many years in a decade? (10) In a

century? (100) How many hours in a
day? (24) How many minutes in an hour?
(60) How many seconds in a minute?
(60) How many days in most months?
(31) What is the shortest month?
(February) How many days in it? (28)

The movies start at 8:00 and end at 10:00.

How long do they last? (2 hours)
You begin class at 9:30 and get out at
10:30. How long was the class? (1 hour)

Repeat these questions periodically.

At 1:30 you begin a test. You finish at

3:00. How long was the test? (1 hr. 30
min.)

MM 1-69

MM 1-72

The big hand is on 12. The small hand is

on 3. What time is it? (3:00)

If you leave for school at 7:30 and arrive at

8:00, how long did it take you to get there?
(30 minutes)

The big hand is on 6. The small hand is

between 6 and 7. What time is it? (6:30)
The big hand is on 12. The small hand is
on 6. What time is it? (6:00)
The big hand is on 6. The small hand is
between 4 and 5. What time is it? (4:30)
Continue with problems of this type.

MM 1-70
It is now 9:30. What time will it be in 2
hours? (11:30)
It takes Jims family 4 hours to travel to
Grandmothers house. If they leave home
at 1:00, what time will they get to
Grandmothers house? (5:00)
Continue with stories involving adding
time.

The trip started at 9:00 and was finished at

1:00. How long did it take? (4 hours)
Continue. Present problems containing two
times and ask how long from one to
another.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-73

MM 1-75

At 1:30 you begin a test. The test takes 2

hours. When is the test over? (3:30)

Susan has a box with 7 crayons in it. She

takes out 3 crayons. How many are in the
box now? (4)

You begin waiting for a bus at 2:00, you

wait 30 minutes. What time did the bus
come? (2:30)

Chuck has 12 carrots in a bag. He takes 4

out. How many are left in the bag? (8)

The show is 1 hour long. It starts at 3:00.

What time does it end? (4:00)

MM 1-76

It is 8:30. School is 6 hours long. What

time do you get out? (2:30)
You start reading a book at 10:00 and it
takes you 3 hours to read the book. What
time will you finish? (1:00)

Start with 4 and follow me. Add two. Add

three. Subtract 1. Add 2. What is the
number? (10)
Start with 6 and follow me. Subtract 2.
Add 3. Add 1. Subtract 3. Add 4. What
is the number? (9)

Continue.
Continue with problems of this type. Make
sure the child can add or subtract the
numbers involved.

MM 1-74
Lets make 12. Ill say a number. You tell
me a number to add to mine to make 12.
4 (8)

MM 1-77
What is 4 + 4? (8)
What is 4 + 5? (9)
What is 6 + 6? (12)
What is 6 + 7? (13)

6 (6)

What is 8 + 8? (16)

7 (5)

What is 8 + 9? (17)

9 (3)

Continue presenting doubles to the child

and then adding one to the second number
and presenting the fact.

Continue. Try to make other numbers as

well.

Repeat for several days in a row.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-78

MM 1-80

What is 32 + 2? (34)
41 + 3? (44)

What addition fact can you think of that

would help you with the subtraction fact 9 3? (3 + 6 = 9 or 6 + 3 = 9)

53 + 1? (54)

What is the answer to 9 - 3? (6)

47 + 2? (49)
64 + 3? (67)

What addition fact can you think of that

would help you with the subtraction fact 7 2? (2 + 5 = 7 or 5 + 2 = 7)

73 + 2? (75)

What is the answer to 7 - 2? (5)

Continue with problems of this type. The

ones should add to 9 or less in each case.

Continue in the same way - giving a

subtraction fact and first asking for an
addition fact to help, then asking for the
answer.
Continue for several days.

MM 1-79

MM 1-81

What addition fact uses the same numbers

as 7 - 4 = 3? (4 + 3 = 7 or 3 + 4 = 7)

What is 12 - 3? (9)

What addition fact uses the same number

as 8 - 3 = 5? (5 + 3 = 8 or 3 + 5 = 8)

8 - 2? (6)

Tell the child a subtraction fact - then ask

them for the addition fact which uses the
same numbers. Make sure that one of the
numbers is 0, 1, 2, or 3.

9 - 1? (8)

Continue for several days.

8 - 0? (8)

11 - 8? (3)

7 - 4? (3)

7 - 2? (5)
10 - 8? (2)

6 - 0? (6)
Continue with subtraction facts where the
answer is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 1, 2, or 3 is taken
away.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-82

MM 1-85

Jack has 4 white dogs, 3 black dogs, and 2

cats. How many dogs does Jack have? (7)

Rosa walked 6 blocks to the library. Then

she walked right back home. How many
blocks did she walk in all? (12)

Millies dog buried four old bones, two

newspapers, and three new bones and two
rubber animals. How many bones did he
bury? (7)
Mr. Brown gave Jack 3 pieces of candy
and 2 pieces of gum. Mrs. Jans gave Jack
2 pieces of candy and 5 pieces of gum.
How many pieces of gum does Jack have?
(7)

There are five cows and six pigs on a farm.

Four chickens also live there. How many
four-legged animals are on the farm? (11)
Repeat with addition problems involving
doubles.

Repeat stories involving subtraction.

MM 1-83
What is 6 + 3 + 2? (11)
What is 7 + 2 + 1? (10)
What is 5 + 4 + 3? (12)
Continue adding three numbers. Make
sure the last two numbers are either 3, 2, 1
or 0.

MM 1-84
Martha had 6 pencils. She got 3 more
from Nancy and 2 more from John. How
many does Martha have now? (11)
Paul has 8 marbles. He wins 7 from Sean
and 2 more from Kent. How many does
he have now? (17)
Continue.

MM 1-86
At the party, Vicki blew up 11 balloons.
Seven balloons popped. How many
balloons are left? (4)
Twelve children went to the movies. Five
children sat in the front row. How many
children sat in the second row? (7)
Wendell made 11 pizzas altogether. He
made 5 of them without meat. How many
pizzas did he make with meat? (6)
Repeat problems of this type.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-87

MM 1-90

How much is a nickel worth? (5 cents)

How much is 2 dimes and 1 nickel worth?

(25 cents)

How much is a dime worth? (10 cents)

How much are 2 nickels worth? (10 cents)

How much is 4 dimes and 2 nickels worth?

(50 cents)

How much are two dimes worth? (20

cents)

How much is 6 dimes and 3 nickels worth?

(75 cents)

Continue with questions using either

nickels or dimes.

Continue with questions using up to 9

dimes and 9 nickels.

MM 1-88
How much is 1 nickel and 2 pennies
worth? (7 cents)
How much is 1 nickel and 4 pennies
worth? (9 cents)
How much is 3 nickels & 2 pennies worth?
(17 cents)
How much is 5 nickels and 4 pennies
worth? (29 cents)
Continue with questions using up to 10
nickels & 0 through 5 pennies.
MM 1-89

MM 1-91
How much is 3 dimes, 1 nickel and 2
pennies worth? (37 cents)
How much is 4 dimes, 2 nickels and 8
pennies worth? (58 cents)
How much is 1 dime, 3 nickels and 4
pennies worth? (29 cents)
Continue with questions using up to 9
dimes, up to 7 nickels and 0 to 9 pennies.
MM 1-92

How much is 1 dime and 2 pennies worth?

(12 cents)

How much is 2 quarters, 1 dime and 1

nickel worth? (65 cents)

How much is 1 dime and 4 pennies worth?

(14 cents)

How much is 3 quarters, 2 dimes and 3

pennies worth? (98 cents)

How much is 3 dimes and 2 pennies

worth? (32 cents)

How much is 2 dimes, 3 nickels, 1 quarter

and 7 pennies worth? (67 cents)

How much is 7 dimes and 4 pennies

worth? (74 cents)
Continue with questions using up to 10
dimes and 0 through 10 pennies.

Continue with questions using amounts of

coins less than one dollar.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-93

MM 1-95

How many pennies make a half dollar?

(50)

Molly needs 55 cents. She has 4 dimes.

How many nickels does she need? (3)

How many dimes make a dollar? (10)

Nancy put 18 coins in her bank. All but 3

of them were dimes. How many coins
were dimes? (15)

How many nickels make a quarter? (5)

How many quarters make half a dollar?
(2)
How many dimes would equal 2 quarters?
(5)
How many nickels would equal 7 dimes?
(14)

Ricky has 2 dimes, 3 nickels and 1 penny.

How much money does Ricky have? (36
cents)
Tom bought a pencil for 8 cents, an eraser
for 4 cents and a piece of bubble gum for 2
cents. How much did he spend? (14 cents)
What coins could be used to buy these
things? (1 dime and 4 pennies)

MM 1-94
Mary had 2 nickels. Her mother gave her
3 pennies. How much money does she
have? (13 cents)

MM 1-96

Bill has 2 dimes. He wants to buy a card

for his mother that costs 17 cents. How
much change will he receive? (3 cents)

Mark has 17 cents. Jeanette gave him 3

dimes. How much money does Mark have
now? (47 cents)

Portia saves 3 pennies every day. How

long will it take her to save 12 cents? (4
days)

Ned had 47 cents. He spent 21 cents for

candy. How much money did he have left,
about 70 cents or about 30 cents? (about
30 cents)

Paula wants to buy 2 pencils. Each pencil

costs 6 cents. How much money does she
need? (12 cents)
Rex has 35 cents. His mother gave him a
nickel and a dime. How much money
does he have now? (50 cents)
Continue with story problems involving
coins.

If 1 candy bar costs 10 cents, estimate the

number of candy bars you could buy with
95 cents. (abut 10)

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-97

MM 1-99

Ben has 40 shells. John has 60 shells.

How many more shells does John have
than Ben? (20 shells)

Ill say an addition fact, you tell me what

double youd use to help you.
4 + 5 (4 + 4 or 5 + 5)

Sheila grows 60 tomatoes. She sells 50

tomatoes. How many tomatoes does she
have left? (10 tomatoes)

6 + 7 (6 + 6 or 7 + 7)
8 + 9 (8 + 8 or 9 + 9)

Simon has 50 straws. He uses 20 straws.

Then he gives away 10 straws. How many
straws does Simon have left? (20 straws)

3 + 4 (3 + 3 or 4 + 4)
7 + 8 (7 + 7 or 8 + 8)

Repeat for other multiples of ten.

Continue with addition problems with
numbers which are different from each
other.
MM 1-98
The school lunchroom has 80 seats. 60
children ate lunch today. How many seats
were empty? (20)

MM 1-100
What is 4 + 5? (9)

There are 30 people on the airplane. 20

more get on in Waterloo. How many
people are on the plane now? (50)

6 + 7? (13)
8 + 9? (17)

46 children were out sledding after a big

snow. 3 children got cold and went inside.
How many stayed outside? (43)

7 + 8? (15)
5 + 6? (11)

30 cows were in the barn. Only 10 cows

had been milked. How many cows still
need to be milked? (20)
Repeat for other stories like this.

Present these numbers with the smaller one

first. If the child cannot quickly answer,
ask them for the related double fact.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-101
What is 5 + 4? (9)
7 + 6? (13)
9 + 8? (17)

MM 1-104

8 + 7? (15)

Start with 6 and follow me. Add 7. Add 2.

Add 4. Add 2. (21)

Present these numbers with the larger ones

first.

Start with 7 and follow me. Add 2. Add 3.

Add 4. Add 1. (17)
Start with 4 and follow me. Add 5. Add 3.
Add 4. Add 2. (18)

MM 1-102
Continue with problems of this type.
What is 4 + 3? (7)
5 + 6? (11)
8 + 9? (17)
8 + 7? (15)
MM 1-105
Present these numbers with the larger ones
either in first or second position.

MM 1-103
Ronnie bought some candy. He ate 5
pieces and still had 6 pieces left. How
many pieces of candy did he buy? (11)
Billie had 7 cars. His mother gave him 6
more. How many cars does Billie have
now? (13)
Repeat other double story problems.

What addition fact uses the same numbers

as 12 - 5 = 7? (5 + 7 = 12 or 7 + 5 = 12)
What addition facts uses the same numbers
as 16 - 8 = 8? (8 + 8 = 16)
What addition fact uses the same numbers
as 14 - 9 = 5? (9 + 5 = 14 or 5 + 9 = 14)
Continue. Tell the child the subtraction
fact then ask for the related addition fact.

Mental Math Grade 1

MM 1-106
What addition fact can you think of that
would help you with the subtraction fact
11 - 5? (5 + 6 = 11 or 6 + 5 = 11) So what
is the answer to 11 - 5? (6)
What addition fact would help with 13 - 6?
(6 + 7 = 13 or 7 + 6 = 13) So what is the
answer to 13 - 6? (7)

MM 1-107
A cage in the pet store had 9 birds in it. 6
were sold. How many are still left? (3)
One board is 9 feet long. Another is 7 feet
long. How much longer is the first board?
(2 feet)
Bill has 4 cents. He needs 10 cents to buy
a candy bar. How much more does Bill
need? (6 cents)
Continue with subtraction story problems
similar to these.

MM 1-108
How many feet in a yard? (3)
How many inches in a foot? (12)
How many eggs in a dozen? (12)
How many shoes in a pair? (2)