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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year math grows past counting into adding and subtracting within twenty. Students learn that the number 47 is really 4 tens and 7 ones, which makes bigger numbers feel less mysterious. They also start measuring with rulers, telling time on a clock, and naming shapes by their sides and corners. By spring, students can solve a word problem like "I had 8 apples and gave away 3" and explain how they got the answer.

  • Addition and subtraction
  • Place value
  • Word problems
  • Measurement
  • Telling time
  • Shapes
Source: Ohio Ohio's Learning Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Counting and adding within 20

    Students count, read, and write numbers to 20 and start adding and subtracting small amounts. They learn quick ways to find sums like 7 plus 8 instead of counting one by one.

  2. 2

    Word problems and number stories

    Students solve short story problems about putting things together, taking some away, or comparing two groups. They explain their thinking out loud and show it with drawings or simple equations.

  3. 3

    Place value to 120

    Students count all the way to 120 and start to see that numbers like 47 mean four tens and seven ones. They compare two numbers and decide which is greater.

  4. 4

    Adding larger numbers

    Students add within 100, including a two-digit number plus a one-digit number, and add or subtract groups of ten. They use what they know about tens and ones to work it out.

  5. 5

    Measuring, time, and shapes

    Students measure objects by lining up smaller units end to end and tell time on clocks to the hour and half hour. They sort shapes, build new shapes from smaller ones, and split shapes into halves and fourths.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Standards for Mathematical Practice

  • Make Sense of Problems

    OH-MATH.MP.1.1

    Students figure out what a math problem is asking before they start solving it, and they keep trying even when the answer isn't obvious right away.

  • Reason Quantitatively

    OH-MATH.MP.1.2

    Students take a real math problem (how many apples, how much change) and translate it into numbers and symbols to solve it, then check that the answer still makes sense in the original situation.

  • Construct Arguments

    OH-MATH.MP.1.3

    Students explain how they solved a math problem and listen to how classmates solved it differently. They practice saying why an answer makes sense, not just what the answer is.

  • Model with Mathematics

    OH-MATH.MP.1.4

    Students use drawings, objects, or simple number sentences to show real-life problems, like sharing snacks or counting coins. They check whether their model matches the situation and adjust it if something looks off.

  • Use Tools Strategically

    OH-MATH.MP.1.5

    Students choose the right tool for the math problem in front of them, whether that's a ruler, a number line, or their fingers. Knowing when to use each tool is part of the skill.

  • Attend to Precision

    OH-MATH.MP.1.6

    Students use exact words and correct units when explaining math. They say "centimeter" instead of "the little one" and double-check their work before calling an answer final.

  • Use Structure

    OH-MATH.MP.1.7

    Students notice patterns and rules in math, like how place value works or how a shape can be broken into smaller pieces. Spotting that structure helps students solve new problems without starting from scratch.

  • Express Regularity

    OH-MATH.MP.1.8

    Students notice when a math shortcut works every time, not just once, and start using it on purpose. For example, adding zero to any number always leaves it unchanged.

K-8 Mathematics Content

  • Counting and Number

    OH-MATH.K8.1.1

    Students count, compare, and work with whole numbers up to 120, and begin exploring simple fractions. They use what they know about numbers to solve problems and make sense of quantities they encounter in everyday life.

  • Operations and Algebraic Thinking

    OH-MATH.K8.1.2

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing show up in word problems and number sentences. Students figure out which operation fits the situation and use it to find the answer.

  • Measurement and Data

    OH-MATH.K8.1.3

    Students read and fill in simple tables and picture graphs to answer questions about data. They look at what the numbers show and explain what they found.

  • Geometry

    OH-MATH.K8.1.4

    Students sort flat shapes (like squares and triangles) and solid shapes (like cubes and cylinders) by describing their sides, corners, and size. They use basic measurement and reasoning to explain how shapes are alike or different.

  • Ratios and Proportional Relationships

    OH-MATH.K8.1.5

    Ratio reasoning at this grade is a preview skill. Students compare quantities ("3 red tiles for every 2 blue ones") to solve simple real-world problems before formal ratios are introduced in later grades.

No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 3.
State Summative

Ohio's State Test Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

OST Mathematics is the spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to Ohio's Learning Standards for Mathematics.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
Common Questions
  • What math should students know by the end of the year?

    Students should add and subtract within 20, count and write numbers to 120, and tell time to the hour and half hour. They should also compare lengths, sort shapes, and solve simple word problems with pictures or objects.

  • How can I help with math at home in just a few minutes?

    Count coins, set the table with the right number of forks, or ask how many minutes until dinner. Quick story problems while cooking or driving go a long way. Aim for short and frequent, not long and serious.

  • My child still uses fingers to add. Is that a problem?

    No. Fingers, counters, and drawings are how students build number sense at this age. Over time, they will start to just know that 6 plus 4 makes 10. Pushing memorization too early often backfires.

  • How should I sequence addition and subtraction across the year?

    Start with counting on and making 10 inside 20, then move to part-part-whole word problems, then to the harder problem types like comparing and missing addends. Save the trickier unknowns for the second half once students trust the operations.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Subtraction word problems, especially compare problems, and place value with teen numbers. Many students also confuse the longer and shorter hand on a clock. Build in short review blocks on these all year rather than one big unit.

  • What does it mean for students to understand place value at this grade?

    Students should see 34 as 3 tens and 4 ones, not just two separate digits. Tens frames, bundles of straws, and base ten blocks help. At home, counting groups of ten pennies or stickers does the same work.

  • How do I know a student is ready for next year?

    Strong signs are fluent adding and subtracting within 10, solving one-step word problems without panicking, and reading and writing numbers to 120. Comfort with shapes, simple measurement, and explaining a strategy out loud also matters.

  • My child says they are bad at math. What helps?

    Keep the tone light and treat mistakes as normal. Play games with dice, dominoes, or cards where math sneaks in. Avoid timed drills at home for now, since speed pressure is the fastest way to make a six year old give up.