Subtraction Teaching Resources
Browse subtraction worksheets, games and more teacher-created activities for your lesson plans!
Aligned with the Australian maths curriculum, including version 9.0, each resource in this subtraction collection has been carefully reviewed and curated by our expert teachers to ensure it's ready to use with your students!
Browse printables and digital activities for teaching students how to take away, use subtraction to compare quantities, subtract two-digit numbers with regrouping, solve word problems and so much more!
Whether you're teaching your year 1 class to add and subtract within 20 or your year 3 students how to fluently subtract within 1,000, or you're explaining to a year 6 group how to add or subtract integers on a number line, there are plenty of options for your planning.
New to teaching subtraction, or just looking for new ways to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a kid-friendly definition to explain what it means to subtract, plus a look at the subtraction sign and more maths vocabulary that will help you plan your lessons.
What Is Subtraction? A Kid-Friendly Definition
If you're teaching early years students and introducing subtraction for the very first time, you may need a definition that can help you explain what it means to subtract numbers.
Subtraction is a maths operation we can use when we have a number and we want to find out what's left when we take away another number.
For example, let's imagine you have 5 toys, and your friend takes 2 of them home. How can you determine how many toys are left? You can use subtraction!
If you subtract 2 from the number 5, you are left with 3.
What Is the Subtraction Sign Called?
There are several maths symbols and signs that help us understand the relationships between numbers in our maths problems. Students should learn early on to identify the subtraction symbol, which is called the minus sign.
The minus sign (-) looks like a short line.
When it is placed between two numbers, it lets us know that we should subtract the number on the right from the number on the left.
For example, look at the subtraction problem below:
- 6-3
In this problem, the minus sign tells us that you will need to subtract — or take away — 3 from the number 6.
What Is the Answer to a Subtraction Problem Called?
Teaching maths in primary school involves teaching a significant amount of maths vocabulary!
When it comes to subtraction, one word kids need to learn early on is 'difference' — this is the word we use for the answer to a subtraction problem.
What Are the Numbers Called in Subtraction?
Words like subtraction, difference and minus are commonly used in the classroom, but what about the numbers in a subtraction problem?
These are not typically taught to students, but it can be helpful to keep the names of the numbers in a subtraction problem in your back pocket anyway!
- Minuend — This is the number on the left in a subtraction problem. It is the number that you are 'taking away' from.
- Subtrahend — This is the number on the right in a subtraction problem. It is the number that you are 'taking away.'
Teaching Kids How to Subtract — 3 Fun Ideas From Our Teacher Team
Looking for some tips on teaching subtraction? This collection of resources is full of ideas from our expert maths teachers, but we didn't stop there.
Here are some tips that may help you teach kids how to subtract and build their fluency!
1. Focus on Missing Addends
Missing addend addition is sometimes easier for kids to grasp when tackling subtraction problems.
For example, rather than 17 - 8, gear your students to think, '8 plus what equals 17?'
2. Teach Regrouping With Base-10 Blocks
Students need to understand they aren't changing the value of the minuend in the subtraction problem, just what it looks like. For example, 42 is still 42, even if it's represented as 30 + 12 instead of 40 + 2.
This is where it helps to teach the concept of regrouping using Base-10 or MAB blocks.
3. Use Subtraction Rhymes
Using fun rhymes as mnemonics in subtraction can help your student remember the rules. Here's one of our favourites for teaching students subtraction with regrouping:
More on top?
No need to stop!
More on the floor?
Go next door.
Add 10 more.
If the numbers are the same, then 0 is the name!
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Partitioning Teaching Presentation
Introduce the partitioning strategy to your students with this teaching presentation.
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Multiplication and Division Word Problems Task Cards (Facts of 1-12)
Use a range of strategies to solve multiplication and division problems for times tables facts 1-12.
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Subtraction using Place Value Counters - Worksheet
Subtract 3-digit numbers using place value knowledge and counters with a printable subtraction worksheet.
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Secret Code Number Line - Worksheet
Crack the number line code with five number line codebreaker worksheets to practice number identification, addition, and subtraction.
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Mixed Addition and Subtraction Word Problems Escape Room
Search for a lost treasure in our mixed addition and subtraction word problems escape room that will give your students varied practice adding and subtracting one and two-digit numbers.
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Multi-Digit Subtraction - Interactive Claw Machine
Review knowledge of 3-and-4-digit subtraction with an exciting interactive claw machine game!
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Tens Frame - Addition and Subtraction Match-Up Activity
Build addition and subtraction skills with two tens frame matching games.
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Addition and Subtraction Teaching Slides
Support students’ understanding of addition and subtraction with an engaging slide deck that helps foundation learners explore real‑life maths.
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Simple Addition Riddle Worksheet
Download this addition and subtraction riddles pack to give your students fun, meaningful practice with one‑ and two‑digit addition and subtraction.
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Printable Maths Mats - Graphic Organisers
Practise working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organisers.
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Mathematics Vocabulary Posters
A teaching resource to help students identify the symbols and associated vocabulary for mathematical operations.
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Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction
Bring number relationships to life with this ready‑to‑use fact family game that supports students as they practise addition and subtraction in a fun, interactive way.
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Subtraction Fact Fluency Assessments
Assess and track subtraction fact fluency with a printable Number Facts Fluency program for subtraction.
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Subtraction Strategies – Assessment
Assess your students’ knowledge of subtraction strategies with a subtraction assessment.
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Fact Family Maths Blast Off - Addition and Subtraction
Demonstrate an understanding of addition and subtraction fact families with a fun cut and sort activity.
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Part-Part-Whole - Addition and Subtraction Teaching Presentation
Teach your students how to effectively use a bar model to solve 1-digit addition and subtraction number facts using the part-part-whole strategy.
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Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice 2-digit subtraction with regrouping with this drill and practice worksheet.
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Number Talks - Balancing Equations Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 40 task cards.
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Addition and Subtraction Interactive Slides
Support addition and subtraction learning with interactive slides that help teachers build student confidence through clear, engaging practice.
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20 Polygon Puzzles - Addition and Subtraction Pack
Explore addition and subtraction with this fun polygon puzzle pack.
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Strategies for Subtraction - Maths Strategies Workbook
Teach and practise various subtraction strategies with a printable 3-digit subtraction mini-book.
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2-Digit Subtraction With Regrouping - Year 3 Task Cards
Practise using various strategies to solve 2-digit subtraction problems (with and without regrouping) with a set of task cards.
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Subtraction Worksheets - 10/20 Frame Subtraction
Model and subtract numbers to twenty using ten frames with a handy subtraction worksheet.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 10-50)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty word problems that contain numbers 10–50.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 1-9)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty single-digit word problems.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Task Cards (Numbers 1-50)
Use a range of addition and subtraction strategies to solve twenty word problems that contain numbers 1–50.
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2-Digit Subtraction Using Bar Models- Differentiated Worksheets
Review and assess your students’ subtraction skills with differentiated 2-digit subtraction worksheets focusing on the bar model strategy.
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Subtraction Strategies - Anchor Charts
Remind your students of the many subtraction strategies with a printable subtraction anchor chart display.
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Jump Strategy Subtraction Game
Learn how to use the jump strategy to solve subtraction problems with a fun subtraction game.
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10 More, 10 Less Differentiated Mazes
Delight your students with this maze challenge, to practise calculating 10 more or 10 less than a value within 120.
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Ten More and Ten Less - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting 10 from given numbers within 100 in this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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One More, One Less - Worksheet
Practise foundational addition and subtraction facts using the concepts of one more and one less.