Adding by 1 Worksheets and Teaching Strategies

Adding by 1 is part of Week 1 of our mastering basic math addition plan for Grade 1. Like adding by 0, adding by 1 is one of the fastest addition facts to learn. Below are some adding by 1 worksheets and strategies that you can use to teach your child.

Adding by 1 Teaching Strategies

The strategies below are just suggestions. It may work or may not work with your child. I suggest using one strategy at a time. If the strategy already works, stick to it. Having too many strategies can be confusing also. If your child has developed their own strategy to consistently arrive to the correct answer, use it as well. In fact, that may be the best strategy yet!

The best strategy when adding by 1 is using “Count On”. This means that the child will just count the next number or numbers to arrive to the correct sum. Since, we are adding by 1, the child only needs to count the next number. If it is 3+1, the child will count the next number after 3, which will be 4. “Count On” is useful when adding by a small number.
Emphasize the commutative property of addition. It simply means that the order of the numbers (or addends), does not affect the answer. Thus, the answer for 7+1 is the same as 1+7.
Use large numbers as examples. It will sound silly but fun. Ask what is 47+1 or even 1,234 + 1.

Adding by 1 Worksheets

Use the worksheets below to practice adding by 1. I recommend having 2 worksheets per day only.

The first four worksheets below are good for 2 days of practice.

The next four worksheets has a line for TIME. You can use this to time how fast your child can answer the 20 items correctly. The goal is to be fast and accurate at the same time. Thus, if the child makes a mistake, 10 seconds is added to the total time.

No need to set a time limit. Just use the time as a comparison with previous worksheets.

These timed tests are optional. You may opt not to take note of the time. Some experts believe that timed tests have a negative impact on kids. Aim for accuracy over speed.