▸ Why It Matters
Adding 1 is really about learning "the next number" — before this becomes an addition fact, it's a counting fact. Long before children memorize that 6 + 1 = 7, they already know that 7 comes right after 6 when counting. Connecting these two ideas (adding 1 simply means saying the next number in the counting sequence) is one of the earliest and most important bridges between counting and true arithmetic. This worksheet leans on that connection by running nine "+1" problems in a row, then quietly shifting into five problems where the numbers add up to 10 (1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5) — a gentle bonus that previews how pairs of numbers can work together, once the core "next number" idea feels solid.
▸ Getting Started
Instead of counting from scratch, have your child start at the first number and just say the very next number out loud ("6... so 6 plus 1 is just the next one, 7"). This "count on by one" habit is faster and more reliable than starting over from 1 every time, and it's the same skill they'll use later for adding 2 or 3. For the last five problems, where the numbers change each time, encourage your child to use fingers, blocks, or a number line if it helps — physically seeing "3 and 7 make a full group of 10" builds intuition that pure memorization can't.
▸ If They Get Stuck
If your child instinctively wants to recount from the beginning, gently interrupt right after they say the starting number and ask, "what comes right after that when you count?" — redirecting them to the counting sequence they already know well. On the make-10 problems near the end, if they freeze, try drawing ten small dots or using two hands (all ten fingers) so they can see the two groups joining into one full set. Mistakes here are normal — a child mixing up "next number" thinking with the make-10 problems is actually showing they're paying attention to the pattern shift, not making a careless error.
▸ Praise Points
Praise using "count on" instead of recounting from 1: "You didn't start all the way back at 1 — you just said the next number. That's a faster, smarter way to add 1." For the make-10 problems, celebrate any strategy that works, even slow ones: "You figured out your own way to get to 10 — that's exactly how mathematicians think."
🎯What This Worksheet Builds
This worksheet drills the '+1' pattern across nine problems, reinforcing that adding 1 simply means naming the very next number in the counting sequence, then shifts into five problems where number pairs combine to make 10 (1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5). Together these sections build two foundational number sense skills at once: quick recall of "one more than" facts, and early awareness of how different numbers can partner up to reach the same friendly total, a concept children will lean on constantly in later addition and subtraction work.
👉Next Step
Once adding 1 feels automatic and your child can also complete a few make-10 pairs confidently, move on to Addition Practice 6 - Adding 2 & 3, which extends the same skip-ahead counting idea to slightly bigger jumps. If the make-10 problems were the trickier half, it's worth revisiting a make-10 focused worksheet for extra practice before advancing, since that skill will resurface constantly in later addition strategies.