Welcome to Grade 1 Mathematics!
Grade 1 is where the magic begins!
This is the year your child discovers that math isn't just numbers on a page; it's in their LEGOs, their snacks, their bedtime stories, and the shapes they see on your morning walk.
Through picture books, playful exploration, and lots of "aha!" moments, first graders build the mathematical foundation that will support everything that comes next.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If your child is just beginning Grade 1 or finishing Kindergarten: Start with Concept 1 (Counting & Number Recognition). Read Ten Black Dots together and try the Number Scavenger Hunt activity.
If your child already counts confidently: Jump to Concept 4 (Addition Foundations). Grab Jack the Builder and set up your home store project.
If your child loves art and building: Start with Concept 6 or 7 (Shapes). Read Mouse Shapes and dive into shape composition activities.
If your child is curious about time: Try Concept 10 (Telling Time). Read The Grouchy Ladybug and create daily schedule clocks together.
Still not sure? Email us at hello@teach-early.com ! We love helping families figure out the perfect starting point.
Concept List for Grade 1:
Most concepts take 2-3 weeks each with your kiddo, but here's the secret: math happens in tiny moments all day long.
Counting stairs. Comparing who has more crackers. Finding rectangles in your neighborhood. All those moments? They're doing the work.
NUMBER SENSE & COUNTING | Resources that make it stick
-
Skills they’re building:
Counting objects accurately (one touch = one number)
Reading and writing numerals 0–20
Counting forward and backward from any number
Understanding that the last number said = total (cardinality)
Skip counting by 10s to 100
You'll notice: At the end, your child confidently counts anything—toys, steps, snacks—and knows exactly how many without recounting.
-
Skills they’re building:
Comparing two groups of objects (more/less)
Using math language: more, less, fewer, same as, equal to
Ordering numbers from smallest to largest
Understanding that larger numbers represent more
Applying comparison in real-life situations
You'll notice: At the end,, your child settles disputes with logic ("I have 7, you have 5, so I have more") and makes fair choices when dividing snacks or toys.
-
Skills they’re building:
Understanding zero as a number
Seeing zero’s role in 10, 20, 30
Grouping objects into tens and ones
Using “tens” and “ones” vocabulary
Seeing that 13 ≠ 31 (position matters!)
You'll notice: At the end, your child understands "none left" as zero and sees why 13 and 31 are different numbers.
OPERATIONS | Resources that make it stick
-
Skills they’re building:
Understanding addition as combining
Using “counting on” strategies
Seeing addition in daily life
Understanding + and = symbols
Building fluency with sums to 10
Noticing addition patterns
You'll notice: At the end, your child solves "how many altogether" problems quickly, counting on instead of starting from one every time.
-
Skills they’re building:
Understanding subtraction as taking away or comparing
Using related addition facts (7–2=5 because 5+2=7)
Seeing subtraction in real contexts
Understanding − and = symbols
Working with differences within 10
You'll notice: At the end, your child figures out "how many left" and "how many more" without needing to count objects each time.
GEOMETRY | Resources that make it stick
-
Skills they’re building:
Naming 2D and 3D shapes
Describing attributes (sides, corners)
Understanding that color and size don’t change shape
Combining and dividing shapes
Beginning early fraction thinking
You'll notice: At the end, your child spots shapes everywhere—in buildings, signs, food—and explains what makes a triangle a triangle.
-
Skills they’re building:
Combining shapes into new ones
Breaking shapes apart
Using pattern blocks
Making creative shape designs
Seeing fractional relationships
You'll notice: At the end, your child builds complex designs with blocks and puzzles, seeing how shapes fit together and come apart.
MEASUREMENT & DATA | Resources that make it stick
-
Skills they’re building:
Using position words accurately
Describing locations and relationships
Following multi-step directions
Understanding spatial relationships and maps
You'll notice: At the end, your child follows directions like "put it behind the chair" and describes where things are with precision.
-
Skills they’re building:
Comparing lengths directly
Using words like longer, shorter, taller
Ordering objects by length
Measuring with non-standard units
Estimating before measuring
You'll notice: At the end, your child measures everything—"my tower is 10 blocks tall"—and predicts which objects are longer before checking.
-
Skills they’re building:
Reading analog clocks (hour & half-hour)
Understanding hour and minute hands
Writing digital times
Linking time to daily activities
Understanding time sequence
You'll notice: At the end, your child reads the clock and connects it to routines, saying "lunch is at 12:00" or "we leave at 3:30."
-
Skills they’re building:
Asking and answering data questions
Collecting info using tallies or pictures
Creating picture and bar graphs
Interpreting data and drawing conclusions
You'll notice: At the end, your child asks questions, collects answers, and tells you what the results mean, turning curiosity into conclusions.
Beyond Grade 1
Where This Journey Leads
Moving to Grade 2: Grade 1 skills become the foundation. Addition grows to bigger numbers. Place value expands to hundreds. Shapes lead to complex geometry.
The Teach Early Approach: Math concepts spiral upward. Your child revisits addition each year with new depth, building mastery instead of memorization.
Connect the Learning
Science: Counting appears in animal studies. Measurement in weather tracking. Patterns throughout nature. [Explore Grade 1 Science → Coming Soon]
ELA: Math picture books build vocabulary, story structure, and questioning skills. Math and reading strengthen each other. [Explore Grade 1 ELA → Coming Soon]