Grade 1 Word Problems Worksheets — Free Printable PDF
First grade word problems are really reading problems in disguise: short stories about apples, stickers, and pencils that hide one addition or subtraction within 20. Four sub-skills are offered at this grade and the page opens on Addition Stories, where the difficulty control steps from Join two amounts, to Carrying over ten, to The starting amount is missing. Every story prints with working space and an Answer line, so the maths stays friendly while the reading muscle grows. Change any setting below and the worksheet updates instantly — and the link reproduces the exact same problems whenever you need them again.
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Word Problems · Grade 1
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Grade 1 · 3 pages · A4More Grade 1 word problems skills
Each one generates a different kind of question, with its own three levels and answer key.
What each level generates
Grade 1 addition stories — the exact skill behind each difficulty setting, straight from the generator.
- Level 1Join two amounts
- Level 2Carrying over ten
- Level 3The starting amount is missing
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 →
What Grade 1 word problems should look like
Most Grade 1 curricula expect add-to, take-from, and simple comparison stories with results within 20, plus stories that join three amounts. Short sentences, one question, one step — that is the whole job. Every sub-skill here stays inside it: Addition Stories and Subtraction Stories cover joining and taking away (including the shape where the starting amount is the thing that is missing), Adding Three Amounts joins three numbers to a total of 20 or less, and Comparison Stories ask for the difference, the smaller amount, or the bigger one. Chains of events — find some, give some away, then buy more — belong to Grade 2 and later, and you will not find them on a Grade 1 sheet.
Six to eight problems is a full session at this age. Watch for the classic Grade 1 slip: answering with a number from the story instead of doing the operation. If "Sam has 5 apples and gets 3 more" comes back as 5 or 3, the story was skimmed, not read.
Reading routines that make the maths work
Read each problem aloud together, then have your child underline the question before touching a pencil — those two habits fix most Grade 1 word-problem trouble on their own. The working space under each story is for drawing circles or tally marks; at this age a picture is a legitimate strategy, not a crutch.
Type your child's name in the name field and it prints on the sheet (it never leaves your device), which makes the page feel like theirs. When six problems come back correct without help two days running, move the difficulty up a step — or switch to a different sub-skill, such as Comparison Stories, which asks a different question of the same arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
▸What kind of word problems can a 6-year-old solve?
One-step addition and subtraction stories with numbers up to 20 — join, take away, and simple "how many more" comparisons — plus stories that add three amounts to a total of 20 or less. Every sub-skill and every difficulty on this page generates exactly those; two-step and multi-step stories start at Grade 2.
▸How many word problems should a Grade 1 worksheet have?
6–8 is plenty, because each problem involves reading as well as arithmetic. Use the question-count stepper to keep sheets short and finish with energy to spare.
▸My child can add but not solve word problems — is that normal?
Very. Word problems add a decoding step on top of the arithmetic. Read the story aloud, ask "what is it asking?", and have them underline the question — the gap usually closes within a few weeks of short practice.
▸Is there an answer key?
Yes — tick the answer key box and it prints on its own separate page, so you can keep it aside while your child works through the stories.
▸Do I need an account to print these?
No. The generator is completely free with no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser, and the link itself stores your exact worksheet.