Addition and Subtraction Within 20 Color by Number
Grades 1–2
Here is the step most first graders find hardest: problems like 8 + 5 or 14 − 6, where the answer sits on the other side of 10. This sheet pairs that practice with a picture to uncover.
All addition and subtraction facts up to 20 are mixed, including the ones that bridge ten. A child meets 9 + 4, 7 + 6 and 8 + 8 alongside 15 − 7, 12 − 9 and 11 − 3, plus easier problems that stay within one ten. Fluency here usually comes from make-ten strategies (9 + 4 = 9 + 1 + 3) or from doubles and near doubles (7 + 8 is one more than 7 + 7). Having both kinds on one page trains children to spot which strategy each problem calls for.
Problems are printed with a column letter, for example 9 + 6 = F ___. The answer, 15, is the row, so square F15 gets the color of that group. A wrong answer sends color to a square that does not fit the shape, which makes the sheet largely self-checking. A small picture works as a warm-up or homework; a large one, with around 115 problems, is a longer independent task. For a whole class, five variants give everyone the same picture from different problems.
Keep a ten frame or a number line with 10 marked in bold on the desk. Seeing the jump to 10 and then the rest turns a problem like 13 − 5 from a guess into two easy steps, and most children stop needing the aid after a few sheets.
Choose a picture
- Acorn
- Apple
- Autumn leaf
- Bat
- Car
- Cat
- Christmas tree
- Easter egg
- Fox
- Frog
- Ghost
- Toadstool
- Owl
- Pumpkin
- Rocket
- Spider
- Turtle
- Witch Hat
Frequently asked questions
Is this first or second grade math?
Addition and subtraction within 20 is taught in first grade, and US standards expect children to know these facts from memory by the end of second grade, so the sheets work for both years.
My child keeps getting subtraction across ten wrong. What helps?
Ask them to subtract down to 10 first and then take the rest: 13 − 5 is 13 − 3 − 2. The answer key shows exactly which problems went wrong, so you can practice only those.
Can I reuse the same picture without children memorizing it?
Yes. With five variants every copy shows the same picture built from different problems, so there are no answers to remember.