What this worksheet helps children practise
Ask the child to name both headers before adding. Check location and arithmetic separately.
This first grade activity combines addition practice with reading a two-way table. The edge numbers are addends, not answers to copy into nearby cells. The first table uses row headers 1, 3 and 5 and column headers 0, 2 and 4. The second uses rows 4, 7 and 10 with columns 2, 5 and 10. All sums are positive and no greater than 20. Adding zero leaves the other addend unchanged. Finding the correct intersection is a separate part of the task from calculating the sum. For a related skill, use Addition Within 20: Make 10 with Tika: Add hollow circles for the new nuts. Fill the first ten frame, then complete the equation.
Preparing a short session
Print at actual size and offer a pencil, eraser and up to twenty counters. Point out the three numbers on the left and the three across the top. The plus sign in the corner identifies the operation. Cover the second table at first. Circled answers are examples and should stay in place. A ruler or two strips of paper can help children follow a row and a column. Keep the answer key out of sight while the child works.
A concrete example to get started
In table one, row 1 meets column 0: 1 + 0 = 1. In table two, row 7 meets column 5: 7 + 5 = 12. Follow the row across and the column down to find their shared cell. The next cell to the right still uses row 7 but now has column 10. Its answer must come from those two headers, not from copying the previous sum. Ask the child to name both addends before working out each new answer.
Supporting the activity
Work across one row at a time. A child might say, “Row 3, column 2, sum 5,” before writing. If an answer lands in the wrong cell, check the location separately from the arithmetic. Allow counters or a familiar make-ten strategy when a sum crosses 10. For the column headed 10, discuss what adding ten changes. After a break, choose a cell for the child to find instead of always beginning at the top left. Speed is not the aim. To vary the practice, try Number Line Addition Within 10: Start at the black dot. Draw jumps to the right, then write the answer.
What to notice and how to check
The first table reads 1, 3, 5; 3, 5, 7; and 5, 7, 9 by rows. The second reads 6, 9, 14; 9, 12, 17; and 12, 15, 20. The separate key displays every sum. Check the two headers first, then the calculation and finally the cell where the answer was written. A correct number in a different cell still needs moving. Ask for an explanation of one chosen entry rather than accepting a memorized sequence of answers.
Making the task easier
Begin with table one only. Use two paper strips to guide the row and column.
Keep the learning aim, but reduce how much the child has to handle at once. Cover part of the page with another sheet and reveal one task at a time. Demonstrate a separate example, then leave a real opportunity to work something out. An answer reached with support is still a useful attempt; it does not yet show that the same task can be completed independently.
Taking the idea beyond the worksheet
Draw a new row headed 6 for the first table and calculate its three sums on scrap paper.
Use the follow-up to meet the same idea in a different setting. Offer it once the first task makes sense, without insisting that the whole page must be perfect. The child might explain a strategy, make an example or set a challenge for an adult. Return to the worksheet only when it helps connect the two situations. A short conversation or a practical activity can be enough to finish the session. To continue exploring, use Doubles plus one: addition within 20: Find the double, then add 1 to get the second answer.
Downloading and printing the PDF
This free PDF contains one worksheet designed for A4 paper. Download the file using the button on this page and open it in your PDF reader. Choose actual size or a 100% scale, check the orientation in the print preview and turn off any browser headers or footers. The illustrations use vector lines, so their outlines stay sharp when printed. Check the margins on one copy before preparing several sheets for a group. The level shown on the page is a guide, rather than a requirement to complete the activity at a particular age.