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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Ten Frame Printable Templates
Use these printable ten frames in various math lessons to reinforce number sense and other essential skills.
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Spooky 3-Digit Subtraction - Maze Game
Practise three-digit subtraction with regrouping skills with printable Halloween Subtraction Maze worksheets.
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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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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.
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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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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 Using the Split Strategy - Teaching Slides
Demonstrate using the split strategy for subtraction with an instructional slide presentation.
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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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3 Digit Subtraction Worksheets - Subtraction Strategy Practise
Review and assess your students’ subtraction skills with a pack of printable worksheets covering various strategies for 3-digit subtraction.
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Place Value to the Thousands Place - Maths Mats
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction with a printable set of place value charts.
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Bump! – Subtraction to 10 Maths Game
Practise subtraction facts to 10 with a fun maths game.
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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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Subtraction within 20 - Colour-by-Number Worksheet
Reveal the mystery picture by solving the subtraction problems with a colour-by-number worksheet.
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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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Subtraction Strategy Work Mats
Practise using a variety of subtraction strategies to solve problems with a set of printable subtraction work mats.
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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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Colouring by Larger Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Fact Family Find and Flip - Addition and Subtraction (Upper)
Addition and subtraction game cards demonstrating the relationship between fact families.
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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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4-Digit Place Value Card Game - Race to 10 000
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of adding and subtracting in groups of 10, 100 and 1000.
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Money Word Problems Addition and Subtraction Board Game (American Money)
Download this money word problems addition and subtraction board game for a fun way to practise double-digit operations using real-world scenarios.
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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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3 Digit Subtraction With Regrouping Game Cards
Practise 3-Digit subtraction with regrouping strategies with a printable set of subtraction strategy task cards.
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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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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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Rainbow Number Facts Board Game
A fun, hands-on board game to consolidate students' understanding of the 'Friends of 10'.
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2-Digit Number of the Day Warm-Up PowerPoint
Review various 2-digit maths concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Spooky Subtraction Colour by Number - Worksheet
Bring some spooky maths fun into the classroom with a Halloween colour-by-number worksheet focused on subtracting four-digit numbers.
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4 Digit Subtraction - Flip It Card Game
Practise subtracting 4-digit numbers with and without regrouping with a fun game of Subtraction Flip It!
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Subtraction using Place Value Disks - Worksheet
Subtract 3-digit numbers using place value disks with a printable subtraction worksheet.
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Counting Back to Subtract – Maths Fact Game
Practise subtracting by counting backwards with a pair of printable subtraction games.