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US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches. Print at 100% for craft pieces; use Fit to page if your printer clips the margins. An adult should help with scissors and fitting wearable crafts.
These Thanksgiving worksheets for first grade give children short addition and subtraction problems with seasonal objects they can picture. The page includes both number sentences and brief stories about leaves, paper turkeys, crayons, and place cards. A drawing is a useful part of the answer, especially while a child is learning to connect a story with an operation.
Start with objects or pictures
For a combining problem, draw one group and then the other. Count the total or use a familiar counting-on strategy. For a take-away problem, draw the starting group and cross out the amount removed. Ask the child to explain what each number represents before writing the answer.
- Read the question together if needed.
- Point to the starting amount and the change.
- Use counters, fingers, or a quick picture to model the problem.
- Write the equation and answer.
- Say the full answer using the object’s name.
Keep practice short and useful
Complete a few problems at a time rather than requiring the whole sheet in one sitting. If a child can calculate quickly, ask for a second method or a new story that fits the same equation. If reading is the difficult part, an adult can read the problem while the child handles the mathematics.
For partner work, one child describes a model and the other chooses the matching equation. Switch roles after each problem. Use the answer guide after students have had time to work, and review any mismatch by rebuilding the story with counters. The seasonal setting adds interest without requiring a separate lesson about holiday history.
Frequently asked questions
Are the problems suitable for every first grader?
Readiness varies. Preview the numbers and offer counters or adult reading support. Choose a smaller set if the full page is too much.
Should answers include words?
For word problems, add a unit such as leaves or cards. For a bare number sentence, the number itself is enough.