A first grade class typically consists of children aged 6 and 7. As they move out of kindergarten and into first grade, they are focused on building more foundational skills and solidifying the skills they’ve already learned.
First grade students are often still enthusiastic about learning. They love hands-on activities and working with their friends.
In first grade math, students focus on several key areas. These include:
By using the right 1st grade math lessons, you can help your first grader build essential math skills. These skills will be able to support their future learning and overall success.
The Common Core State Standards are a set of educational benchmarks for K-12 students in the United States.
These standards were developed to make sure that students across all 50 states had the same learning goals.
The standards provide clear expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. The main goal is to prepare students for the next grade, college and future careers.
First grade common core standards focus on building a solid foundation in number sense and arithmetic. Main areas for lessons include:
Several states have adopted their own educational standards instead of Common Core. If you are in one of these states, you should look up the specific 1st grade math curriculum guidelines for your state. As of now, states that do not use Common Core include:
We have information on the 1st grade math standards in each of these states. You can find information on your specific state below by changing the "Select Your State" menu.
Prodigy Math Game features more than 1,500 mathematical skills, aligned with curriculum standards for grades 1 to 8.
Using effective teaching strategies can be a game changer for your students. Not only can they keep your students more engaged, but they also help your students learn and retain information better.
Here are some of our favorite learning strategies for how to teach first grade math.
Hands-On Activities and Manipulatives - First graders benefit greatly from concrete, hands-on learning experiences. Using manipulatives like counting blocks, number lines and shape tiles helps students visualize and understand abstract mathematical concepts.
Here is one way to do this. When teaching addition and subtraction, you can use physical objects to represent the numbers in a problem. Allow your students to physically manipulate the items to see what the answer to the problem is.
Incorporate Games and Technology - Adding educational games and technology into math lessons can make learning more engaging and interactive for your students.
Online math games and apps often include interactive activities that teach and reinforce key math concepts.
Prodigy Math is a great option for an online math game that involves solving math problems and learning math concepts.
It can make learning feel like a fun challenge rather than a chore. Prodigy Math provides immediate feedback, helping students to correct mistakes and understand concepts more thoroughly.
Storytelling and Real-Life Applications - Connecting math to real-life situations can make abstract concepts easier to understand for students.
To add storytelling to your teaching arsenal, you can create simple word problems based on everyday activities. This could include shopping, cooking or playing to show students how math is used in daily life.
Story problems can also be integrated into lessons to help students understand the context and purpose of the math they are learning.
For example, a story about sharing apples among friends can help teach division and fractions in a context that your students will relate to. This approach not only makes math more interesting but also helps students see its practical applications.
Want more ideas for crafting first grade math lessons? Check out our First Grade Math Worksheets now!
When students are in first grade learning math, they are typically 6 years old. At this age, your students will typically learn best through:
6-year-olds are developing their number sense, addition and subtraction skills and concepts of measurement, time and geometry.
Learning for 6-year-olds is most effective when it is interactive and involves visual and physical manipulation of objects.
They benefit from repetitive practice, structured routines and clear, simple instructions. Using these practices will allow them to build confidence in their math abilities.
To make learning math enjoyable for six-year-olds, incorporate play and creativity into your lesson plans.
Games, puzzles, and stories can transform math exercises into engaging activities that capture your students’ interest.
Try using board games that involve counting, or online math games that reward progress.
Another effective teaching strategy is to integrate math into daily activities. For example, cooking activities can teach measurement and fractions. Or building with blocks can help students’ understanding of shapes and spatial relationships.
Use group activities and collaborative problem-solving to foster friendships and make learning a shared, enjoyable experience.
By creating a positive and fun learning environment, you can help your students develop a love for math and learning.
Prodigy Math is a game-based learning platform that is the perfect addition to your math lesson plan.
Incorporating Prodigy into your classroom is easy. You can create and assign math problems that are tailored to your curriculum with the click of a button. You can also customize these lessons to the individual needs of your students.
Prodigy Math aligns with whatever curriculum is used in your state or country. This ensures that the content is relevant and comprehensive.
Prodigy's adaptive learning technology adjusts the difficulty of questions based on each student's performance. This provides a personalized learning experience that keeps students challenged and engaged.
And you can track your students' progress through detailed reports on the teacher dashboard. It’s clear to see where students are excelling or where they may need additional support.
Prodigy transforms math practice into an interactive adventure game. Players embark on quests, battle monsters and earn rewards by solving math problems.
Students will find learning math fun with Prodigy. You may even find that they ask to learn more!
Using this gamified approach not only captures students' interest but also promotes a positive attitude towards math.
You will find that Prodigy is an invaluable tool for reducing math anxiety and improving student outcomes.
Sign up for a free teacher account now!
If you’re looking for more information on the curriculum standards that your student or child will learn inside the Prodigy Math game, you’ve gathered all of the information in one place.
To find the standards for your exact location, simply select your country and state you live in. Then scroll down to see the curriculum standards. If you’re looking for a different grade, you can change that on the drop-down menu directly above the standards.
Head to our math curriculum standards page now.
Set an Assignment to choose the exact skills you want each of your students to practice.
"I use Prodigy Math Game as an individualized intervention for my students. I love that I can assign different topics to specific students."
"Students are more confident because of the extra practice they receive with Prodigy Math Game. My students typically score higher on math benchmarks because I’m able to differentiate instruction using the Prodigy reports!"
"Prodigy is by far, the most engaging, flexible, student and teacher friendly math program I have ever encountered. Nothing else produces the data, supports the curriculum, addresses the variety of levels and skills, all the while being epically fun!"
