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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Digital Pixel Art - Adding and Subtracting Integers
Practise adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers with an exciting spreadsheet pixel art activity.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers on Number Lines - Worksheet
Help your students learn to add and subtract integers on a number line with a printable adding and subtracting integers worksheet.
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Maths Mazes (Addition and Subtraction)
A set of puzzling mazes that require addition and subtraction skills to solve.
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Roll and Colour Worksheet - One More, One Less
An interactive worksheet to practise finding the number that is 1 more and 1 less than a given number.
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Simple Addition and Subtraction Questions
Use this versatile worksheet with your students when exploring early addition and subtraction number sentences.
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Build a Board Game – Maths STEM Project
Improve maths skills and spark creativity by having students plan, design, and create their own maths-based board games.
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Addition and Subtraction Word Problems - Match Game
Practise reading, modelling, and solving addition and subtraction word problems with a matching activity.
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Subtraction Across Zero - Colour By Number Worksheet
Practise subtraction across zeros with a fun colour-by-number worksheet.
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3-Digit Subtraction - Bar Model Worksheet
Review and assess your students’ subtraction skills with a 3-digit subtraction worksheet focusing on the bar model strategy.
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Colour by Number - Subtraction Task Cards
Practice subtracting single and double-digit numbers with a set of subtraction colour by number task cards.
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Subtraction using Place Value Counters- Interactive Activity
Practise subtracting multiples of 100 using place value counters with an interactive drag-and-drop activity.
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Pirate's Plunder - Number Line Subtraction Game
Practise using the jump strategy for subtraction from 20 with an exciting pirate-themed maths game.
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Number Bonds Subtraction - Worksheet
Practise subtraction using number bonds with differentiated number bond worksheets.
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Number Line Task Cards - Superhero Addition and Subtraction Activity
Fly through addition and subtraction on a number line with an exciting Number Line Superhero task card activity.
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2-Digit Subtraction by Regrouping Poster
Break down the steps to use regrouping to find a solution to a subtraction problem with a printable subtraction anchor chart.
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Adding and Subtracting Word Problems Interactive Task Cards
Engage your students with this interactive adding and subtracting word problems activity that features a variety of problem types.
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2 Digit Subtraction Model Match-Up
Use a rigorous subtraction matching game to match subtraction word problems with number sentences, bar models, and solutions.
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Number Bonds Worksheet- Cut and Paste
Practise subtraction up to twenty with a cut-and-paste number bond worksheet.
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Subtraction Bingo – Numbers 0–60
32 different bingo cards using subtraction and numbers from 0-60.
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Subtraction on a Number Line - Anchor Chart
Provide your students with a daily reminder of the subtraction on a number line strategy with a printable anchor chart.
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3-Digit Subtraction Strategies - Task Cards
Practise 3-digit subtraction strategies with a set of 24 subtraction task cards.
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Subtraction Strategies - Ten Frame Printable Bingo
Practise using ten frames to subtract single-digit numbers in a whole-class bingo game.
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Subtraction using Picture Models - Worksheet
Practise subtracting numbers to 12 using picture models with a printable subtraction worksheet.
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Rearranging Parts Worksheet
Rearrange the parts of a sum to form new number sentences with this worksheet.
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Basic Fact Cards
A set of 72 basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division fact cards.
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Number Talks - Making Numbers Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Number Talks - Making Ten Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Number Ladders
Blank number ladders with space for sums.
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Feed the Pumpkins - Year 1 Subtraction Worksheet
Feed the pumpkins and practise subtraction to twenty with a Halloween subtraction worksheet.
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Number Talks - Double Digit Subtraction Task Cards
Encourage the use of mental math strategies with 2-digit subtraction number talks task cards.
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Printable Maths Puzzles - Subtraction Tarsia
Print a set of 7 Tarsia puzzles to practise solving single-to-multi-digit subtraction problems.
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100 More, 100 Less Worksheets - Cut and Paste Maths Activity
Use an understanding of place value to determine a number 100 more or less than a number with a pair of cut-and-paste maths worksheets.