Within 20 Without Regrouping: Math Mystery Pictures
Grade 1
For children who have moved past 10 but are not yet ready to cross it: every problem stays inside one ten, so 13 + 4 or 18 − 5 can be solved with facts they already know.
Numbers go up to 20, but no problem bridges ten. Additions like 12 + 5, 14 + 3 or 11 + 6 keep the ones under 10, and subtractions like 17 − 4 or 19 − 6 never need to break into the ten. Answers that land exactly on a ten are allowed, so 7 + 3 = 10 and 13 + 7 = 20 appear, while 8 + 5 or 13 − 5 do not. The idea to take away is that 15 + 3 works just like 5 + 3 with a ten in front.
As with the within-10 sheets, the result gives the row, the printed letter gives the column, and the color heading tells the child which crayon to pick up. Grids here can be up to 20 rows tall, so the two-page layout with larger squares helps children who tend to lose their place. One variant is plenty for practice at home; for a class, print five so that children sitting together get different problems leading to the same picture.
Before handing out the sheet, solve two or three problems aloud and ask, "What would this be without the ten?" Children who notice that 16 − 4 is really 6 − 4 with a ten attached usually speed up and make fewer slips.
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
What does "without regrouping" mean for numbers within 20?
No problem crosses the ten: the ones never add up to more than 10, and subtraction never has to take from the ten. Schools in the UK usually call this "not bridging ten".
Why is 7 + 3 included if the answer reaches 10?
Landing exactly on 10 or 20 does not require splitting a number, so it is allowed. Problems like 8 + 5, where you pass through 10 on the way to 13, are saved for the next topic.
When should we move on to crossing ten?
Once your child finishes these sheets accurately without counting on fingers, try the within-20 topic with crossing ten, which uses the same worksheet format.