1st grade balancing equations worksheets

These worksheets teach 1st graders what the equal sign really means: both sides are the same amount, not "answer coming next." Your child judges equations like 5 + 2 = 2 + 5 true or false, and fills blanks so both sides match.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 1.OA.D.7.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Write true or false, or fill in the number that balances the equation.

  1. True or false? 7 + 7 = 6 + 8

    Answer: true

  2. 6 + 4 = 1 + ___
  3. True or false? 1 + 2 = 3 + 2

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Play balance scale with your hands: this hand holds 4 + 3, that hand holds 5 + 2. Do they weigh the same? Have your child find each side's total before calling true or false. Read every equal sign as "is the same as."

Watch for: Kids read the equal sign as 'the answer comes next.' It means both sides are the same amount. Kids fill the blank in 4 + 3 = ___ + 2 with 7. The blank needs 5, because both sides must total 7.

Common questions about balancing equations

Why do some problems just ask true or false?
Judging an equation like 5 + 2 = 2 + 5 shows whether a child understands the equal sign. There's no shortcut that fakes it.
My child wrote 7 in the blank for 4 + 3 = ___ + 2. Why?
They're reading the equal sign as 'the answer is.' Total the left side together, then ask what plus 2 makes that amount.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core 1.OA.D.7. Reviewed by the One more sheet curriculum team. Content version 123, updated July 2026.