Check the homework, talk to the teacher for starters. If the child is showing signs of struggling with simple equations, even after he or she has learned adding in school, a little extra effort may be needed. A child who does not know the answer may try to slowly count on fingers, or may utter a pure guess in the hopes of being right. Or he or she may want to do something else. Reward even the small steps and stay patient.
First grade is usually the beginning of addition and subtraction with single numbers.
Use flash cards at home every night for just a few minutes. Incorporate addition into everyday activities. For example, if your daughter wants some grapes, split the red ones and green ones into two groups. One group could contain three and one could contain four. Ask her to tell you how many of each, and how many total.