FutureStepsSign in 1st grade learning.
Make the idea click.
First-grade learning connects spoken ideas with numbers, drawings and written words. Explore a few starter topics, then work through a place-value example together.
Try the worked exampleConnect the drawing to the number
When a child writes 14, ask what the 1 and the 4 represent. A stick for ten and four separate dots can make the two places easier to explain. In reading, the same habit of pointing to evidence helps connect a spoken sound with a letter or word.
What does each digit stand for in your drawing?
Explore 1st grade subjects.
Mathematics
Selected starter topics
Explore numbers, operations, shapes and money; measure lengths and make sense of simple data.
- Tens and ones
- Make ten to add
- Find the missing number
English language arts
Selected starter topics
Read, listen and write with original stories, word sounds, word parts and clear sentences.
- Read words with short a
- Tell a story in order
- Give a sentence a start and an end
Science
Selected starter topics
Practice science safety, explore scientific work and investigate forces, energy, Earth materials and animal life.
- Sort by what you notice
- Pushes and pulls
- Notice today’s weather
Social studies
Selected starter topics
Use maps, compare needs and choices, explore work and voting, and learn from evidence about the past.
- Yesterday, today and tomorrow
- Why we have rules
- Goods and services
These examples come from FutureSteps’ Texas starter collection. They introduce selected topics and support review; they are not a complete curriculum, school assessment or course credit.
Tens and ones
Build a number with groups of ten and extra ones.
Ten ones make one ten. You can draw a long stick for each group of ten and a dot for each extra one.
In 23, the 2 means two tens. The 3 means three ones. So 23 is 20 + 3.
Make 14 with a drawing.
- Draw one stick. It stands for ten ones, so you do not need to count ten dots.
- Draw four dots beside it. These are the four extra ones.
- Count 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. One ten and four ones make 14.
Your turn.
What number is two tens and five ones?
- 7
- 25
- 52
Show the answer and explanation
25
Two tens make 20. Five more ones make 25: 20 + .
Example from the FutureSteps Mathematics starter collection. Course reference: Texas TEKS · Grade 1 Mathematics. The example is app-authored; the reference does not imply endorsement or complete coverage.
A routine to try next.
- Read the question aloud and choose a way to show it with sticks, dots or objects.
- Ask the learner to explain each part of the drawing before writing a number.
- Change one part of the example and check whether the explanation still works.
These public guides and examples are free to read without an account. FutureSteps accounts are for ages 13 and older, with email verification and applicable permission steps. Younger learners can explore these public examples with a grown-up.
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Questions before you begin.
How can a family use these first-grade activities?
Read one question together, let the learner draw or point to an answer, and ask how they know. The public example is available without an account. Use your child's classroom materials to decide which topics need more practice.
How does the in-app learning path build on these examples?
Eligible students choose a supported state, grade and courses. Lessons include explanations, worked examples and quick checks. Students can save Notes, mark their own progress and ask Study about a lesson when they have access. Progress labels reflect the student's selections, not a school grade or a mastery assessment.