Fact family houses: a 25-minute 1st grade addition and subtraction activity
What it is: a 1st grade activity where three related numbers "live" in a paper house, and students write the four addition and subtraction facts that belong to that family. It shows how addition and subtraction are connected.
Time: about 25 minutes. Grade: 1st grade.
Materials: paper house outlines with three numbers in the roof (such as 3, 5, 8) and four lines in the house, counters, and pencils.
- Show the house with 3, 5 and 8. Ask: "Which number is the whole? Which are the parts?"
- Use counters to show 3 + 5 = 8. Then turn it around: 5 + 3 = 8.
- Take parts away: 8 - 3 = 5 and 8 - 5 = 3. Write all four facts in the house.
- Pairs fill in 3 more houses, checking each fact with counters.
- Show a house with one fact missing a number. Students find the missing number and explain how.
Differentiation: students who need support use houses with sums up to 10 and keep the counters. Students who are ready make their own house with numbers up to 20. English learners can use the words whole, part, plus and minus.
Quick check: give a student the numbers 4, 6 and 10 and ask for one addition fact and one subtraction fact.
Need it for another grade or subject? Ask us on the request page and our team will write it.
Found this helpful? Get the week's best posts like it.
About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 29, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades K–2
- Subject
- Math
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.