Math word problems for 1st and 2nd grade: 80 stories and a 4-step plan

Math word problems for first and second graders, with 80 original stories and an easy 4-step plan that teaches your child to read the problem, picture it and work out the answer. The 27 page PDF comes in US Letter and A4 and includes clue words, solved examples, a drawing box beside every problem and complete answer keys. It is an instant download, and nothing is shipped.

Story problems stop feeling scary when every page looks familiar and every answer has a method behind it.

How these math word problems build calm problem solvers

Each problem page shares one steady layout. First the story, then a Picture it box to sketch in, then a line for writing the number sentence, and finally an answer line where the label word is already printed. Ten types of problems are covered: adding to and taking away within 20, comparing, missing numbers, two-digit numbers up to 100, two-step stories, coins, time to the half hour and length in inches.

The answer keys give a number sentence for each story, so you can follow your child's thinking and not just check whether the final number is correct. When a skill needs more work, just reprint that set.

Who this pack is for

• Children in first and second grade, about 6 to 8 years old, ready to use addition and subtraction inside real stories
• Homeschool families looking for a full story problem unit with a clear method and answer keys
• Parents hoping for quiet, screen free math time after school, on weekends or during summer break
• Kids who know their math facts but get stuck as soon as the numbers appear in a story

Design and printing

• Simple, minimalist style with white pages and soft blush pink details that save ink
• Generous margins on every page, so nothing is cut off by a home printer
• Two portrait formats, A4 and US Letter, for printing at home anywhere
• Pages print well in black and white, with plain line drawings and light pink only on headers and borders
• Big, readable story text and lots of room for drawing
• No dates and fully reusable, so any set can be printed again
• Keep it in a binder or on a clipboard, or have it spiral bound at a print shop

Inside the math word problems pack: 27 pages

1. 1Cover with a page index and lines for your child's name and grade
2. 2Grown-up guide explaining how to use the pack, the order we suggest and a table of the ten sets with their grade level and page
3. 3Poster of the 4-step plan (read, picture it, number sentence, check), with one story worked through each step
4. 4Clue words card listing words for adding, subtracting and comparing, words about money and time, and what the equal sign really means
5. 5Ways to picture it, showing 8 + 5 = 13 as a drawing, a number bond, a bar model, a number line, tens and ones and ten frames
6. 6Worked examples 1. Four solved stories (adding to, taking away, comparing, a missing number) shown step by step
7. 7Worked examples 2. Four more solved stories (two-digit adding, a two-step problem, money, time) shown step by step
8. 8Reference page for coins, clocks and inches, with the values of a penny, nickel, dime and quarter, three sample clocks and a 6 inch ruler printed at true size
9. 9Problem organizer, a full page template you can reuse for any story problem, complete with a checklist
10. 10Two-step organizer with separate lines for step 1, step 2 and the final answer
11. 11Set 1, adding to, with 8 stories that stay within 20
12. 12Set 2, taking away, again 8 stories that stay within 20
13. 13Set 3, putting together and taking apart: 8 stories within 20, one of which has several correct answers
14. 14Set 4, comparing: 8 stories within 20 that ask how many more or how many fewer
15. 15Set 5, missing numbers: 8 stories in which the starting amount or the change is unknown
16. 16Set 6, two-digit adding and subtracting: 8 stories using numbers up to 100
17. 17Set 7, two-step problems, 8 stories where children write step 1 and step 2 on separate lines
18. 18Set 8, money stories, 8 problems counting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to a top amount of 90 cents
19. 19Set 9, time stories, 8 problems on the hour and half hour, with a blank clock beside each so children can draw the hands
20. 20Set 10, length stories: 8 problems measured in inches
21. 21Write your own, starters: 4 fill in the blank story frames for adding, taking away, comparing and money, each with its own picture box
22. 22Write your own, blank: room for your child to write and solve 2 original story problems
23. 23Progress tracker across all ten sets, with columns for date, score and try again, and four small reflection boxes
24. 24Problem solver award, a certificate to complete once all ten sets are done
25. 25Answer key 1, sets 1 through 3
26. 26Answer key 2, sets 4 through 7
27. 27Answer key 3, sets 8 through 10

Files in your download

• Math Word Problems 1st-2nd Grade, US Letter PDF (27 pages)
• Math Word Problems 1st-2nd Grade, A4 PDF (27 pages)
• Read Me First, a short printing guide (PDF)

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Good to know

• This is a PDF meant for printing at home. If you like, you can also import it into most note taking apps and write on it with a stylus.
• It is a digital download, so no physical item is shipped.
• Colors can look slightly different on paper than on a screen.
• Personal use only. Please do not share, resell or distribute the files.
• Digital files cannot be returned. If a file does not open or print properly, email us and we will help right away.
• All answers in the keys were checked twice before release, once by computer and once by hand.
• The grade levels are based on common US first and second grade math goals and are meant only as a guide. Follow your child's own pace.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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