Easy Math Problems for Grade One Kids

At the young age of six or seven, children are already aware of their environment. In fact, on their own, they can already discern if the people around them are having problems or if they themselves have problems. They can easily devise ways to solve their own problems.

Mathematics is all about solving problems and the solutions that can be used to solve these problems. In Math there is always one way and another way to solve a problem and for children in Grade One it is a time for them to discover all the ways to solve these problems. Step-by-step solutions in Math are generally termed as algorithms. In solving Math problems children should be taught that they cannot just provide an answer even how obvious it is because there is always a step or steps that led to the solution of the problem. They should be taught how to justify their solution to a problem.

For first graders, they should be involved in the following Math categories: Number Concepts, Patterns and Algebra, Geometry Management, Data Management and Probability. Surprised! These categories may look like such a tall order for a first grader. Such concepts and categories, years ago, were part of the secondary school curriculum. But times have changed and our first graders are into more complicated Math concepts and categories than during our times.

Let us try and simulate some Math problems that would enhance our kids’ skills in the following categories:

Number Concepts

There are five kids and 15 cookies. If I have to divide the cookies equally among the five kids, how many cookies should each kid receive?

A child solving this problem should be able to get the correct answer by drawing five circles or any shape to stand for each kid and drawing one cookie into each circle until he counts to 15. A child’s visual solution to this problem would look somewhat like this:

The final answer then would be three (3) as seen in this illustration.

Another solution would be by showing a mathematical equation wherein the 15 cookies is divided by 5 and illustrated in this way:

15 ÷ 5 = 3

This solution would also give the same answer of 3.

Show your child 8 red jellies and 5 yellow jellies and ask him to separate the jellies by color. Ask your child how many more red jellies are there than yellow jellies.

A child will physically line up the jellies of matching colors to find how many more red jellies are there. In this illustration, it shows that there are 3 more red jellies than yellow jellies. A child would have been able to associate the jellies on a one-to-one correspondence.

Another solution would be through a mathematical equation such as:

8 – 5 = 3

You will notice that for every problem there are two possible ways by which the problem can be solved.

Patterns and Algebra

Get some items together like coins of different denominations, buttons of different sizes, color and shapes, and cubes like dice and alphabet blocks. Using 3 paper plates have your child sort these items and place them on the paper plates by giving him sorting instructions and having him count the number of items sorted. Here are some sorting instructions that you can give:

  • Sort by kind (coins, buttons, cubes)
  • Sort the buttons and cubes by color
  • Sort the coins by denominations
  • Sort the buttons by shape
  • Sort the cubes by kind

There are a lot of ways and rules on how these items can be sorted and you will be able to see a child’s perspective on things thus improving his skills on determining patterns and structure, presenting the relationship between things and of course counting and giving the quantity sorted.

Geometry and Measurement

Give your child different shapes and let him give you actual items that have the same shape.

Give your child some measuring cups and spoons and let him measure the ingredients for a cake. This will enhance his geometry and measurement skills.

Data Management and Probability

Get a hula hoop and before you let your child use it ask him how many times he thinks he can run the hoop around his body. This is teaching your child how to assess the situation based on these criteria:

  • His ability to use the hula hoop
  • If he has the ability to use the hula hoop, he has to determine his average score
  • Knowing his average score, he has to determine if he could probably go over that score or not
  • He has to make a decision

This problem will enhance your child’s ability to manage the data he has available and to assess the probability of something happening based on the data he has.

There are a lot of fun things you can do with your first grader to enhance his skills in Math and to show him the easy and fun way of learning Math. You may not know it but there are things you do at home that are fun Math activities like counting by 2’s, 3’s or 5’s, having your kids sort items around the house, having them divide food among themselves or just having them decide how many chocolate bars they can buy for a dollar. All these activities, without you knowing it, develop extremely valuable skills in Math and are requirements in many math concepts that your child will soon be learning in depth in Grade One.