Welcome to Grade 1 Math! Today we'll learn about numbers and counting. In Grade 1, we learn to count from 1 all the way to 100. We can count forward: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... And backward: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6... We also learn to skip count by twos: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10... By fives: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25... And by tens: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50...
Now let's learn about comparing numbers. We compare numbers to see which is bigger or smaller. We use special symbols for this. The greater than symbol looks like this: 5 is greater than 3. The less than symbol looks like this: 2 is less than 7. And the equal sign shows when numbers are the same: 4 equals 4. A fun way to remember is that the alligator mouth always points to the smaller number because the alligator wants to eat the bigger number!
Now let's learn about addition and subtraction. Addition means putting groups together. We use the plus sign for addition. For example, if you have 3 apples and get 2 more, how many do you have? 3 plus 2 equals 5 apples. Subtraction means taking away from a group. We use the minus sign for subtraction. For example, if you have 7 cookies and eat 3, how many are left? 7 minus 3 equals 4 cookies. We can use pictures, fingers, or number lines to help us add and subtract.
Now let's learn about place value. Place value helps us understand what numbers mean. Each digit has a value based on its position. In a two-digit number like 12, the 1 is in the tens place, which means 1 ten or 10. The 2 is in the ones place, which means 2 ones. So 12 equals 10 plus 2. Let's look at another example: 25. The 2 is in the tens place, which means 2 tens or 20. The 5 is in the ones place, which means 5 ones. So 25 equals 20 plus 5. We can show this with blocks too - 2 tens blocks and 5 ones blocks make 25.
In Grade 1, we also learn about shapes and measurement. We study basic 2D shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. We also learn about 3D shapes like cubes, spheres, cones, and cylinders. 3D shapes are solid objects that take up space, while 2D shapes are flat. We also begin to measure length. Instead of using rulers with inches or centimeters, we often start with non-standard units like paper clips or blocks. For example, we might find that a pencil is about 6 paper clips long. This helps us understand the concept of measurement before learning standard units.