Taking Things Away
Learn about subtraction! When we take things away, we have fewer things left. Let's discover how subtraction works.
📖 What is Subtraction?
Subtraction = Taking Away
When we subtract, we start with a group and take some away.
We end up with fewer than we started with!
The Minus Sign
In math, we use a special symbol to show "take away":
This is the minus sign.
It looks like a little line: −
It means "take away" or "subtract".
Let's See Subtraction!
Watch what happens when we take things away:
We say: "Five minus two equals three" or "Five take away two is three"
📚 Subtraction Stories
Subtraction happens all around us! Let's read some stories:
🐦 The Bird Story
There were 4 birds sitting on a branch.
Then 1 bird flew away.
How many birds are left?
3 birds are left on the branch!
🎈 The Balloon Story
Maya had 6 balloons at her party.
2 balloons popped!
How many balloons does Maya have now?
Maya has 4 balloons now!
🍎 The Apple Story
There were 5 apples in a bowl.
Sam ate 3 apples.
How many apples are in the bowl now?
2 apples are left in the bowl!
🧮 Ways to Subtract
Here are different ways to figure out subtraction problems:
Use Your Fingers
Hold up fingers, then put some down to take away.
Count Back
Start at the big number and count backwards.
Draw It
Draw objects, then cross some out.
Use Objects
Use toys or blocks, then take some away.
Let's Count Back!
For 7 − 3, start at 7 and count back 3 times:
7 − 3 = 4
✏️ Practice Time!
Let's practice subtraction. Look at the pictures and find the answer!
Problem 1: How many stars are left?
You have 5 stars. 3 stars go away.
5 − 3 = ?
Problem 2: How many fish are left?
You have 4 fish. 1 fish swims away.
4 − 1 = ?
Problem 3: How many hearts are left?
You have 6 hearts. 2 hearts go away.
6 − 2 = ?
Problem 4: How many butterflies are left?
You have 8 butterflies. 3 butterflies fly away.
8 − 3 = ?
Problem 5: How many suns are left?
You have 3 suns. 2 suns go behind clouds.
3 − 2 = ?
🔗 Addition and Subtraction Are Connected!
Fact Families
Addition and subtraction are like opposites! They belong to the same family:
These four facts all use the numbers 2, 3, and 5!
Think about it:
- If you put 2 and 3 together, you get 5 (addition)
- If you start with 5 and take away 2, you get 3 (subtraction)
- Addition puts together. Subtraction takes apart!
🎮 Fun Activities
🎵 Subtraction Song
Sing to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat":
That's what minus means!
Start with more, end with less,
Subtraction is the key!
Five little cookies here,
Take away just two,
Five minus two is three,
How many? Now you knew!
🧸 Toy Take-Away Game
Play this game with a grown-up!
- Get a small group of toys (5-10 toys)
- Count how many toys you have
- Close your eyes while the grown-up takes some away
- Open your eyes and count what's left
- How many were taken away?
🎲 Snack Subtraction
Practice with a snack like crackers or grapes!
- Start with 10 pieces of your snack
- Eat 1 piece - how many are left? (10 − 1 = 9)
- Eat 2 more - how many now? (9 − 2 = 7)
- Keep going until they're all gone!
Yummy math practice!
✋ Finger Subtraction
Practice these problems with your fingers:
- Hold up 5 fingers. Put down 1. How many up? (5 − 1 = 4)
- Hold up 4 fingers. Put down 2. How many up? (4 − 2 = 2)
- Hold up 7 fingers. Put down 3. How many up? (7 − 3 = 4)
- Hold up 10 fingers. Put down 5. How many up? (10 − 5 = 5)
✅ Check Your Understanding
Can you answer these questions?
What does the minus sign (−) mean?
When we subtract, we end up with...
What is 7 − 4?
📝 What We Learned
Minus Sign
The minus sign (−) means take away or subtract.
Getting Less
When we subtract, we end up with fewer than we started with.
Count Back
We can subtract by counting backwards from the bigger number.
Fact Families
Addition and subtraction are related - they're in the same family!
🚀 Next Steps
- Practice subtraction with objects at home
- Look for times you "take away" things during your day
- Try making up your own subtraction stories
- Practice both addition AND subtraction to see how they're connected
🎉 Congratulations! 🎉
You've finished all the Kindergarten Math lessons on Addition and Subtraction!