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Grade 1 Mixed Chains Worksheets

Two or three operations in a row, held in your head and worked left to right, bracket first where there is one.

Every sheet below is generated fresh with a matching answer key. Pick one of the three levels, preview it, and print or download the PDF — no account, no watermark. For the other grade 1 mental maths skills, see all mental maths worksheets.

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Mental Maths · Grade 1

Grade
Topic
SkillEach skill is a different kind of question, with its own levels.
Level
Questions
30

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Grade 1 · 3 pages · A4

Mental Maths Practice

Grade 1 • Mixed Chains • Take away, then add
Name:Date:

Work each chain out in your head, left to right. No calculator.

  1. 1) 5 − 3 + 13 =
  2. 2) 16 − 4 + 6 =
  1. 3) 18 − 12 + 2 =
  2. 4) 17 − 3 + 1 =
  1. 5) 8 − 6 + 3 =
  2. 6) 20 − 2 + 2 =
  1. 7) 6 − 4 + 12 =
  2. 8) 20 − 16 + 10 =
  1. 9) 7 − 5 + 10 =
  2. 10) 13 − 8 + 1 =
  1. 11) 19 − 6 + 7 =
  2. 12) 15 − 10 + 11 =
  1. 13) 9 − 7 + 3 =
  2. 14) 18 − 5 + 4 =
  1. 15) 9 − 4 + 9 =
  2. 16) 20 − 17 + 15 =
  1. 17) 11 − 3 + 11 =
  2. 18) 15 − 5 + 4 =
  1. 19) 11 − 4 + 6 =
  2. 20) 16 − 14 + 14 =
  1. 21) 14 − 4 + 2 =
  2. 22) 18 − 8 + 7 =
  1. 23) 7 − 6 + 6 =
  2. 24) 19 − 16 + 8 =
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Page 1 of 3

Work each chain out in your head, left to right. No calculator. (continued)

  1. 25) 15 − 14 + 17 =
  2. 26) 20 − 9 + 9 =
  1. 27) 20 − 10 + 4 =
  2. 28) 16 − 1 + 1 =
  1. 29) 9 − 6 + 17 =
  2. 30) 6 − 1 + 4 =
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Page 2 of 3

Answer Key

  1. 1. 15
  2. 2. 18
  3. 3. 8
  4. 4. 15
  1. 5. 5
  2. 6. 20
  3. 7. 14
  4. 8. 14
  1. 9. 12
  2. 10. 6
  3. 11. 20
  4. 12. 16
  1. 13. 5
  2. 14. 17
  3. 15. 14
  4. 16. 18
  1. 17. 19
  2. 18. 14
  3. 19. 13
  4. 20. 16
  1. 21. 12
  2. 22. 17
  3. 23. 7
  4. 24. 11
  1. 25. 18
  2. 26. 20
  3. 27. 14
  4. 28. 16
  1. 29. 20
  2. 30. 9
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Page 3 of 3

What each level generates

Grade 1 mixed chains — the exact skill behind each difficulty setting, straight from the generator.

  1. Level 1Add, then take away
  2. Level 2Take away, then add
  3. Level 3Four numbers in a row

Grade levels follow the progression common to most English-language curricula — not one specific national curriculum. Every level shows exactly what it generates, so you can check the fit with your own program. See the full scope & sequence →

More Grade 1 mental maths skills

Each one generates a different kind of question, with its own three levels and answer key.

Frequently asked questions

▸What is mental maths in Grade 1?

It is arithmetic worked out in the head rather than on paper. In Grade 1 that means adding and subtracting small numbers quickly — every number on these sheets stays within 20, whichever of the four skills you pick.

▸How long should a Grade 1 mental maths sheet take?

Around five minutes for 30 questions at the first level is a strong pace. Time it loosely rather than strictly — the goal is instant recall, so a child who is accurate but slow simply needs more short sessions, not a harder sheet.

▸Can my child use fingers or a number line?

For the first few sessions, yes. The sheets say no calculator, and the aim is to gradually retire the fingers: once the pairs that make ten are known by heart, most children drop finger counting on their own within a few weeks.

▸What do the four Grade 1 skills generate?

Adding in Your Head runs from sums with no carrying, to sums that carry, to adding three numbers. Taking Away in Your Head does the same for subtraction, ending on counting up to find a difference. Number Bonds asks for the missing part of 10 or 20, and at its middle level for the part taken away from a number from 11 to 20, and Mixed Chains strings three or four numbers together, such as 12 + 6 − 9. Every answer stays a whole number and never goes below zero.