Harvest subtraction mastery! Learn powerful strategies like count back, think addition, and fact families. Become confident at subtracting numbers up to 20!
Prune and perfect your subtraction skills with these interactive strategy builders!
Drag the jump arrows to count back!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
Use addition to solve subtraction!
Which facts belong to the same family?
Click all good subtraction strategies!
Click all correct options
Learn smart strategies that make subtraction easy and fun! Each strategy is a powerful tool in your math garden.
Count Back means starting at the bigger number and counting DOWN! To subtract, hop backwards on your number path. Like climbing down stairs - start at the top, count your steps down!
💡 Imagine standing on step 15, then counting backwards 3 steps: 14... 13... 12! You land on 12!
Simple Count Back
15 - 3: Start at 15, count back 3: '14, 13, 12!' Answer is 12!
Toy Cars
You have 11 cars, give away 2. Count back from 11: '10, 9!' You have 9 cars left!
Cookies on Plate
13 cookies - eat 4. Count back: '12, 11, 10, 9!' You have 9 cookies!
Sticker Collection
18 stickers - give 3 away. Count back: '17, 16, 15!' You have 15 left!
Books on Shelf
14 books - borrow 2. Count back: '13, 12!' You have 12 books!
Counting back too many or too few! Use your fingers to track how many times you count back.
Think Addition means using ADDITION to solve subtraction! Instead of 12-5=?, think 'What + 5 = 12?' The answer is 7! It's like solving a puzzle - find the missing piece!
💡 Imagine a puzzle: You have 12 pieces total, 5 are here, how many are missing? Same as 12-5!
The Classic 13 - 6
Think: 'What plus 6 equals 13?' Answer: 7! So 13-6=7!
Toy Mystery
Box holds 15 toys, 8 are here. How many missing? Think: 8+?=15. Answer: 7!
Apple Basket
Started with 17 apples, 9 left. How many eaten? Think: 9+?=17. Answer: 8 eaten!
Money Problem
Had 14 dollars, 6 dollars remain. How much spent? Think: 6+?=14. Spent 8 dollars!
Forgetting to flip the question! 'What plus [small number] makes [big number]?'
Use Ten means subtracting TO 10 first, then subtracting the rest! Break the subtraction into two easy steps. Get to 10 (the friendly number), then keep going!
💡 Think of 10 as a rest stop on your journey - stop there first, then finish the trip!
The 15 - 7 Example
15-5=10 (get to 10), then 10-2=8. Total: 15-7=8! Broke 7 into 5+2!
Marble Collection
13 marbles - 5 marbles. First 13-3=10, then 10-2=8. You have 8 marbles!
Crayon Box
16 crayons - 8 crayons. First 16-6=10, then 10-2=8. You have 8 crayons!
Sticker Pages
14 stickers - 6 stickers. First 14-4=10, then 10-2=8. You have 8 stickers!
Not breaking the number correctly! Figure out how much to get to 10 first, then subtract the rest.
Subtract in Parts means breaking the number you're subtracting into easier chunks! Like eating a big sandwich in small bites. Subtract piece by piece until you're done!
💡 Think of it like stepping down a staircase - take one step at a time instead of jumping!
Breaking 7 Apart
15-7: Break 7 into 5+2. First 15-5=10, then 10-2=8! Answer: 8
Toy Give-Away
12 toys - 8 toys. Break 8 into 2+6. First 12-2=10, then 10-6=4. You have 4 toys!
Cookie Jar
18 cookies - 9. Break 9 into 8+1. First 18-8=10, then 10-1=9 cookies left!
Pencil Count
16 pencils - 7. Break 7 into 6+1. First 16-6=10, then 10-1=9 pencils!
Losing track of parts! Make sure you subtract ALL the pieces you broke the number into.
A number line helps you SEE subtraction! Start at the first number and jump BACKWARD. Subtracting 14-5? Start at 14, make 5 hops backward, land on 9! Jump back to subtract!
💡 Imagine a path with numbers - jump backwards like a frog hopping away from higher numbers!
Jumping Back by Ones
11 - 4: Start at 11, jump back: 10, 9, 8, 7. You land on 7!
Big Jump Backwards
18 - 10: Start at 18, make one BIG backward jump of 10, land on 8! Easy!
Board Game Penalty
You're on space 15, go back 6 spaces: 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9! New space: 9!
Steps Counting Down
Start at step 17, go down 8 steps. Count back: you end up on step 9!
Counting the starting number as a jump! Start AT the first number, then jump backward.
Fact Families are groups of related addition and subtraction facts using the SAME three numbers! Like a family living in one house. If you know 7+5=12, you also know 5+7=12, 12-7=5, and 12-5=7!
💡 Think of three numbers as best friends - they hang out together in four different ways!
The 3, 5, 8 Family
3+5=8, 5+3=8, 8-3=5, 8-5=3. All use numbers 3, 5, and 8!
Toy Example
4 red toys + 9 blue toys = 13 toys. So 13-4=9 and 13-9=4. Same family!
The 6, 7, 13 Family
6+7=13, 7+6=13, 13-6=7, 13-7=6. Four facts from three numbers!
Apple Math
8+6=14 apples. So 14-8=6 and 14-6=8. Addition helps subtraction!
Not seeing the connection between addition and subtraction! They're partners, not separate!
Related Facts are fact families you know super well! When you master one addition fact, you instantly know TWO subtraction facts! It's like getting three answers for the price of one!
💡 It's like having a magic key that opens three doors at once!
Double Power
Know 8+8=16? Then you know 16-8=8 for FREE! Doubles make subtraction easy!
Quick Recall
Memorize 9+7=16, and 16-9=7 plus 16-7=9 come automatically! Three for one!
Sticker Smart
If 5+9=14 stickers, then 14-5=9 and 14-9=5 instantly! Lightning fast!
Game Points
7+6=13 points scored means 13-7=6 and 13-6=7. All connected!
Not practicing related facts together! Learn them as families, not isolated facts.
Mental Subtraction means solving in your HEAD by choosing the SMARTEST strategy! Count back for small numbers, think addition when it's easier, use 10 when helpful. You're the strategy boss!
💡 Your brain is a strategy toolbox - pick the perfect tool for each subtraction problem!
Choosing Strategies
14-2? Count back! 15-7? Use 10! 13-6? Think addition! Pick wisely!
Subtracting 10
Any number - 10? Just change the tens place! 17-10=7, 19-10=9. Super quick!
Subtracting 9 Trick
Subtracting 9? Subtract 10, then add 1 back! 15-9 = 15-10+1 = 5+1 = 6!
Shopping Change
Paid $20 for $13 toy. Think addition: 13+?=20. Need $7 change! Mental math wins!
Practice Makes Perfect
The more you practice, the faster you get! Your brain builds subtraction superpowers!
Using the hardest strategy! Always look for the easiest path to the answer.
Test your subtraction mastery with practice problems!
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