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This Mixed Add Subtract drill has 40 problems for Grade 1. Dinosaurs theme. Answer key included.
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Max discovered lost dinosaur eggs in the volcano! He must solve problems quickly before the lava reaches the nest.
Standard: CCSS.MATH.1.OA.C.6
Preview
Page 1 — Drill
Page 2 — Answer Key
What's Included
About this Grade 1 Mixed Add Subtract Drill
At age 6 and 7, children are developing the mental flexibility to switch between addition and subtraction within a single problem set. Mixed-add-subtract problems build cognitive agility—the ability to recognize when to add and when to subtract, then execute the correct operation accurately. This skill is foundational because real-world math isn't neatly organized into "add this page" and "subtract that page." When your child counts toys to find how many are left after giving some away, then gains more, they're doing mixed operations. Practicing these drills strengthens working memory, visual pattern recognition, and confidence with number relationships. Students who master mixed-add-subtract develop a more flexible number sense and are better prepared for multi-step word problems in later grades.
What your student will practice
- Identify whether a problem requires addition or subtraction based on operation symbols
- Compute sums and differences accurately with single and double-digit numbers within 20
- Solve sequences of mixed-add-subtract problems without losing track between steps
- Demonstrate understanding that addition and subtraction are inverse operations
Common mistakes to watch for
Grade 1 students often reverse operations—they'll add when they see a minus sign, or vice versa, especially when they're reading quickly. Another common error is "carrying over" the answer: they solve the first problem correctly, then accidentally use that answer as the starting number for the next problem instead of going back to the original number. Watch for pencil hesitations or eraser marks in clusters; that's a sign your child solved the first part but got confused about where to start the second operation. If you see inconsistent answers on similar problems, the mistake is usually about operation confusion, not calculation.
Use a simple snack game: give your child 5 crackers, then say "eat 2" (they subtract), then say "I'll add 3 more" (they add), and ask how many are left. Do this 3–4 times in a row with different starting numbers. This makes the mixed operations concrete and fun because the result directly affects what they can snack on. The real-world consequence helps them internalize why operation order and accuracy matter, far better than a worksheet alone.