1st Grade Mixed Operations Quizzes

These quizzes are designed for first graders and focus on solving problems that involve both addition and subtraction, typically within 20. The key skill is for students to read a problem, determine whether to add or subtract, and solve accurately. This builds on the kindergarten concept of joining and separating sets.

Focus on the language. Create anchor charts with "addition words" (e.g., in all, altogether, join) and "subtraction words" (e.g., how many are left, difference, take away). Work through problems together, highlighting these keywords and asking students to explain why they chose a particular operation.

A mix of formats is effective. Use quizzes with both simple computation (e.g., 8 + 5 = __, 12 - 4 = __) and word problems on the same page. This requires students to switch their thinking between straight calculation and problem analysis. Fact family exercises are also excellent for reinforcing the relationship between the operations.

A frequent issue is "operation perseveration," where a student continues to add all the problems in a column after encountering a few addition problems first, ignoring the switch to subtraction signs. To address this, encourage students to circle the operation sign (+ or -) with a crayon before they begin solving each problem.

Wayground quizzes are flexible for any classroom setup. You can print the PDF version for whole-class instruction, small group work, or homework. Alternatively, you can assign the quiz as an interactive digital quiz on the Wayground platform. All quizzes come with a complete answer key for easy grading.

The Common Core standards for first grade expect students to represent and solve word problems involving addition and subtraction within 20. These quizzes directly address this by presenting problems that require students to apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction. This work prepares them for two-step problems in Grade 2.