Addition · Grade 1

Picture Addition Worksheets

Help children connect a picture to an addition equation. Each activity shows two groups of 3 to 6 objects, with a total between 6 and 12.

5 problemsAnswer key includedFree printableA4 & US Letter

Two groups, one total

Leo puts four pencils on one side of his desk and three on the other. He can count seven pencils altogether, but he is not yet sure what belongs in the first two boxes of an addition equation.

Group 1: ● ● ● ●

Group 2: ● ● ●

4 + 3 = 7

The first number tells how many objects are in the first group. The second number tells how many are in the other group. The answer tells how many are in both groups together. The plus sign means we combine the groups; the equals sign tells us the amounts on the two sides are the same.

Turn counting into a clear routine

  1. Touch or point to each picture in the first group once. Say the number and write it in the first box.
  2. Count the second group and fill in the second box.
  3. Count both groups, or count on from the first number, to find the total.
  4. Read the complete equation aloud and point to the group each number describes.
If the child writes 7 + 3 = 10: they may have put the total in the first box and counted the second group twice. Cover one group at a time and ask what each box represents.

Reversing the addends does not change the total: 3 + 4 = 7 is also mathematically correct. The answer key lists the groups from left to right so that the pictures are easy to check. On this page the pictures may change with each new set, but the task stays the same.

For a child who loses their place while counting, suggest marking each picture lightly after counting it. Keep the two groups separate until their numbers have been recorded. This is a visual addition activity, not a test of reading a long story.

Make a practice set

Choose what to print. Selecting both shows the answer key on screen and prints the questions followed by the answers.

Print materials

After the practice

Check all three boxes, not only the total. A correct total with incorrect group counts may show guessing or double counting. Once the child can consistently describe the groups, try the Addition Within 20 worksheet and invite them to draw their own pictures when needed.

More about addition · Grade 1 worksheets

Grade 1 selected skill connection: 1.OA.A.1 (supporting visual representation). See the Common Core grade guidance. This worksheet does not cover every requirement in the standard.