Number walls – Grade 1
Number walls for Grade 1: add two neighbouring bricks, fill the wall from the bottom up and find the top brick up to 20.
🎯 What you will learn
- ✓Add two neighbouring numbers
- ✓Fill a wall from the bottom up
- ✓Add confidently up to 20
💡 How it works
A number wall looks like a small pyramid of bricks. The bottom row has numbers, the rest is empty – you finish the wall with addition.
How it works
💡 Top brick = lower left brick + lower right brick.
Every brick rests on two bricks. Its number is always the sum of those two numbers. So start at the bottom and work upwards row by row.
A wall with three rows contains three additions. The top brick is the result of the whole wall – use it to check your work at the end.
🧩 See the method
✍️ Worked examples
Worked examples 1
The bottom row is 3, 5 and 2. What is the top brick?
- 1.Left brick of row two: 3 + 5 = 8.
- 2.Right brick of row two: 5 + 2 = 7.
- 3.Top brick: 8 + 7 = 15.
✓ 15
Worked examples 2
The bottom row is 4, 6 and 1. What is the top brick?
- 1.4 + 6 = 10
- 2.6 + 1 = 7
- 3.10 + 7 = 17. The middle number 6 counts twice because it lies under both bricks.
✓ 17
⚠️ Common mistakes
- • Adding diagonal numbers instead of the two directly below. Put a finger on the two bricks under the empty one.
- • Starting at the top. A number wall is always built from the bottom.
📝 Try it yourself
1.
2 | 3 | 4
Show answer
5 | 7 → 12
2.
1 | 5 | 2
Show answer
6 | 7 → 13
3.
4 | 2 | 3
Show answer
6 | 5 → 11
4.
3 | 4 | 5
Show answer
7 | 9 → 16
5.
6 | 2 | 1
Show answer
8 | 3 → 11
6.
2 | 6 | 3
Show answer
8 | 9 → 17
Create matching questions
Create a compact printable worksheet or start an online test.
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FAQ
When can children solve number walls?
As soon as they add confidently to 10, usually from the middle of Grade 1. Three-row walls up to 20 are then ideal.
Why are number walls better than single sums?
Children solve several sums in a row and check themselves with the top brick. This makes practice more varied.