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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Plan a Halloween Party – Estimation Project
Plan your own Halloween party and practice estimating sums, differences and products of whole numbers and decimals with an engaging maths project!
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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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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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Subtraction using Place Value Disks- Interactive Slides
Practise subtracting multiples of 100 using place value disks with an interactive drag-and-drop activity.
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Colouring by Larger Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Make Two Math Machine Worksheet
A worksheet to use when practising number patterns.
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Five Wonders Theme Park: Induction Booklet – Project
A project where students study the Five Wonders Theme Park stimulus poster to understand and use real world learning skills.
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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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Colouring by Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Subtraction Stew - Halloween Maths Worksheet
Have some spooky subtraction fun with a Halloween picture-model subtraction worksheet.
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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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Bar Model Subtraction - Maths Colour By Number Worksheet
Bring some spooky maths fun into the classroom with a Halloween colour-by-number worksheet focused on subtraction using a bar model.
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Number Bond Subtraction - Task Cards
Boost subtraction skills with printable subtraction number bonds task cards.
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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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Number Talks - Fluency to 20 Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Candy Cane Activity - 2 Digit Subtraction Tarsia
Practise two digit subtraction with regrouping with a Tarsia Puzzle candy cane activity.
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Spooky 3-Digit Subtraction - Year 3 Halloween Maths Game
Practise triple-digit subtraction with regrouping with an exciting hidden picture Halloween Maths Game.
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Digital Halloween Maths Activity
Save time writing your October maths lesson plans with a digital Halloween math activity for foundation year students.
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Decomposing Numbers to a Ten – Interactive PowerPoint
Challenge students to decompose numbers to mentally solve two-digit subtraction problems with a teaching presentation.
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Colourful Tens Frames
Print a colourful set of tens frames to enhance your small group maths lessons.
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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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Christmas Activity Mazes – Addition and Subtraction
Navigate these Christmas maze worksheets with some simple addition and subtraction to keep those minds active!
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Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers Task Cards
Practice 2-digit subtraction with this set of 18 task cards.
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Maths Activity Ideas for Parents - Addition and Subtraction
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with addition and subtraction at home.
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Number Matching Puzzle - Subtraction
A hands-on game to play when learning about subtracting numbers.
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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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2 Digit Subtraction with Place Value Disks - Matching Activity
Use place value disks to solve 2-digit subtraction problems with a matching activity.
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Subtraction Strategies Puzzles
Practise identifying and using different subtraction strategies with a set of printable maths puzzles.
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The Mathematical Easter Egg Hunt – Whole Class Game
A differentiated whole class Easter egg hunt.
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Bunny Subtraction Mini Book
Learn about subtraction with this cute bunny-themed subtraction story!
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Classroom Spinner Template - Maths Equations
Classroom spinner template focusing on maths equations using addition and subtraction.
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Plus One and Minus One Math Machine Worksheet
A worksheet to practise generating a number that is one more than or one less than another number.