The end of the year is such a whirlwind — testing, special school events, assemblies, field trips — and somehow, you’re still trying to keep your first graders focused with summer break right around the corner. With all that going on, it’s easy to let review time slip away.
But a little bit of intentional math review can make a big difference! Not only will it help your students head into summer (and second grade!) with confidence, but it’s also a chance to show them just how much they’ve learned this year.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite low-stress, fun ways to make your end of year math review meaningful — without adding more to your plate.
Why An End Of Year Math Review Matters
Why should you plan an end of year math review anyway? I know it is tempting to throw on some review worksheets and call it a day. However, a little bit of intentional review goes a long way. This is the chance to help your students feel confident heading into second grade, remind them how much they have learned this school year, and maybe even sneak in some of those trickier math skills so they feel confident heading into second grade. Plus, when review feels fun, they’re way more likely to actually engage with it (and learn too!).
Step One: Start With What Matters Most
Before you plan anything, think about what your first graders really need to review. You will not need to touch on every single math concept. Not only is there no time for that- they probably do not need it. Some of them just might need a refresher.
Focus on two things:
1. The must-have skills they will need for second grade.
2. The areas you know your class struggled with this school year.
To help, think of these 1st grade math skills:
- Number sense
- Addition and subtraction facts within 20
- Word problems
- Telling time to the hour and half hour
- Place value
- 3-D shapes
Make a quick checklist of what you want to review with your students. Another great way gauge what you need to review is to ask your students. Ask your students what they struggled with this school year in math or what they need a refresher on. It is very possible that your whole class will not need to review the same math skills, so think of ways to incorporate this review in math centers or small groups as well.
Step Two: Build Review Into Your Math Routine
The key to making your review successful is keeping it short and sweet. A quick 15 minute review block each day is plenty and it does not need to be fancy! One way I like to review every day is with our spiral math journals. You can use these all year long to review math content every day. However, they also work at the end of the school year when you are wanting to review. They are great independent work and take about five to ten minutes a day to complete.
If you want to begin thinking of how to start math review at the beginning of the year, our spiral math journals are perfect for reviewing math concepts all year long. They are a perfect addition to morning work, independent work for whole group work, early finishers, or a warm-up for your math block. They are aligned to the common core standards so you never have to worry if you are covering every standard in your math review.
Bonus: they are available for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.
You can also build review into moments outside of your math block. Try incorporating math review during transitions, like while students are lining up or walking to lunch. Quick oral math questions or simple addition and subtraction games are easy ways to keep review going throughout the day.
1st Grade Math Journals | Spiral Math Review
File Size: N/A
Total Pages: 400+
Step Three: Make it Fun With Games And Movement
During the school year, it is difficult to keep our students sitting quietly. So, do not expect that at the end of the school year either! A fun way to sneak in math review at the end of the year is with math games and hands-on activities.
Some easy and fun activities to make math fun:
- task cards with a scoot game
- math scavenger hunts
- math bingo (download our free number sense bingo, addition bingo, and time bingo. Get our place value bingo here)
- partner games or independent math games at math centers
- card games
- Place Value Scramble: Students draw two cards from a deck of cards, create a number with them, and then build that number with base ten blocks.
- War: Who can create the highest number with two cards? Each student draws two cards from a deck of cards and creates the highest number. Whoever has the highest number wins. You could extend this activity by giving each student the symbols for greater than, less than, and equal to (just a simple print out). After making the two numbers, the pair of students have to put the correct symbol in the middle of the numbers.
- Snowball Fight: Each student writes a math problem on a piece of paper. Then, they crumple it up and throw it around the classroom. Each student finds a “snowball”, uncrumples it, and figures out the answer. You could do this with other math skills too! For telling time, you could print a clock face on blank pieces of paper. Students then draw a time and students would have to figure out the time.
- Dice Games
- Place Value Scramble Dice Version: Similar to the card version, students roll two dice. Then, they create a number with the two dice, and build with base ten blocks.
- Add ‘Em Up: Use three dice for this activity. This is simple, but still fun because students love any reason to use dice. Students roll the dice and then add up the three numbers. I have found in the past that adding three numbers is something my students always needed extra help with so incorporating dice is a great way to add extra practice.
If you want to make it even easier, I have a set of independent math games that review first grade skills like number sense, addition, subtraction, telling time, and shapes. These first grade math games focus on your students feeling confident with their math. They are hands-on, low-prep, and designed so kids can play independently- which gives you time to work with small groups.
Step Four: Use Real Life Math Whenever You Can
Your classroom is full of math opportunities! Real-world math is not only engaging, but it also helps students see that math is everywhere.
Some ideas to try:
- Voting for a class party theme? Graph the results!
- Cleaning up your classroom? Count and add up the supplies.
- Turn these moments into word problems. For example: We have 12 glue sticks and 4 glue bottles. How many are there altogether? How many more glue sticks do we have than glue bottles?
- Standing in line for a bathroom break? Have a student count how many students are in line and subtract that number from your total number of students to determine how many are in the bathroom.
- Taking attendance? Tell your students that there are some students absent. Tell them how many students are in your class and how many are present today and they must find the missing number to determine how many students are absent. This is also a great time to practice that mental math!
Step Five: Track Progress Without The Stress
You do not need a giant binder to track math review at the end of the year, unless your admin is making you. Use quick exit tickets, math journals, or have your students color in a confidence meter after each review activity. The goal is not perfection, but rather building confidence at the end of the school year.
Step Six: Celebrate Your Mathematicians!
End the year with a little math celebration to recognize all their hard work. It doesn’t have to be fancy! A few easy ideas:
- Math board game day: Use our independent math games or have students bring in board games
- Class-wide math challenge
- Math review party with snacks and games
- Minute To Win It Games
- Math Relays
- Classroom Math Party: Set up math stations (each with a fun review game) and let students rotate through with snacks or treats.
- Math Awards Ceremony: Hand out fun awards like “Addition All Star”, “Place Value Pro”, or “Word Problem Wizard”.
- Math Scavenger Hunt: Hide review problems around the room for students to find and solve.
- Glow Party Math Review: Turn off the lights, use glow sticks, and do some fun math review games in the dark!
Some snack-tivities to celebrate:
- Trail Mix Math: Give students a small baggie of snack mix (think cereal, pretzels, marshmallows, etc.) and have them sort, count, and graph the ingredients before they eat.
- Gummy Bear Graphing: Give each student a small cup of gummy bears and have them graph the colors before snacking.
- Pattern Snacks: Use Fruit Loops or M&Ms (a colorful snack) to make patterns.
You can also invite parents to join in the celebration! A simple ‘Math Showcase’ can allow students to demonstrate what they’ve learned, whether by solving problems or sharing a math game they created. Parents will love seeing the progress their children have made, and students will feel even more proud of their accomplishments.
However you choose to celebrate, the message is the same: Look how much you’ve learned this year! Celebrations help students see the joy in learning and make them feel good about the progress they made. I know there is a lot of celebration at the end of a school year, but celebrating their math success is important too!
Final Thoughts
End of year math review for first grade doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You don’t need a perfect plan or a million printables. Just focus on what matters most, sprinkle in some fun, and give yourself (and your students) plenty of grace.
And if you want to save yourself some planning time, I’ve got you covered with ready-to-go resources like my spiral math journals and independent math games. Either way — you’ve got this! Teaching summer school? Great news, any of these activities are perfect for summer school! Summer school is the time to review all the content to get ready for the next grade level!
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