Which square sizes are there?

1 inch, ½ inch, 1 cm, ¼ inch and 5 mm. On the two smallest grids every fifth line is a little darker, so squares are easy to count.

What is squared paper good for in primary school?

Lining up digits in column addition and subtraction, drawing arrays and area models, bar graphs, and pixel art.

Is the paper the right size when printed?

Yes, as long as you print at 100% scale (Actual size). Fit to page would shrink the squares a little.

Printable Graph Paper: 1 cm, 5 mm, ½ inch and ¼ inch Grids

Graph paper for maths

Children who write each digit in its own square line up ones, tens and hundreds without trying. Pair it with the addition and subtraction worksheets when regrouping starts.

In the Australian Curriculum

Year 2Partitioning and regrouping two- and three-digit numbers to help with calculations, where neat columns matter.
Year 3Creating and comparing different graphs of the same data (AC9M3ST02).
Year 3Drawing two-dimensional plans of familiar places (AC9M3SP02), such as a grid map of the classroom.

Many Australian schools use maths exercise books ruled in 10 mm squares. The 1 cm grid here matches them, so a printed sheet can be glued straight into a book.

Year 3 data work suits squared paper well: children can draw a column graph with one square for each vote, then compare it with a tally of the same data. The dot paper suits drawing shapes and simple plans.

Summarised in our own words from the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, Version 9.0 (ACARA).