Subtract Within 20, Make Ten

Match the strategy to the numbers: count back for small numbers taken away, think addition or make ten for bigger ones. Have your child say the matching addition fact out loud, like 7 plus 5 equals 12, before writing the difference.

Subtract within 20 by subtracting down to ten first. Make ten also works to subtract. First subtract down to 10, then subtract what is left. Problems on the page include 16 − 7, 11 − 6 and 13 − 9. The directions on the page read: Subtract down to ten. Then, subtract what is left to find the answer. The page opens with a worked example, and the answer key shows every answer.

Yes, both. We made it for 1st Grade subtraction, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with subtraction strategies. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Your child works out how many more are needed to reach 10, drawing the missing ones. Ten is the anchor of our whole number system, so knowing the pairs that make 10 by heart, 6 and 4, 7 and 3, and the rest, pays off in every year of math that follows.

Eventually, but not by drilling first. Let them build the pairs by drawing and counting until the pattern becomes familiar. Recall that grows out of understanding sticks; recall drilled first tends to fall apart under pressure.

Making 10 is the foundation of bridging strategies in first and second grade, where 8 plus 5 becomes 8 plus 2 plus 3. A child who knows the pairs to 10 instantly finds that easy. A child who does not falls back on counting every time.

They count back, hop left on a number line, think addition and subtract down to ten. Each strategy turns a harder fact into steps a child already knows.

For 12 - 7, a student asks what number added to 7 makes 12. Since 7 + 5 = 12, the answer is 5. The think addition sheet gives an addition box to fill in first.

Count back works best when the number taken away is small, like 1, 2 or 3. For larger numbers, think addition or making ten is usually faster. The which strategy sheet lets students practice choosing.

They support 1.OA.C.6 (subtract within 20), 1.OA.B.4 (subtraction as an unknown addend) and 1.OA.D.8 (find the missing number in a subtraction equation).

First graders should subtract within 20 using strategies like counting back, using related addition facts, and making ten (CCSS 1.OA.C.6). They should also understand the relationship between addition and subtraction and solve comparison word problems.

Use number lines and hundred charts to make subtraction visual. Practice fact families (e.g., 3+4=7, 7-4=3) to show how addition and subtraction are connected. Start with subtraction within 10 before moving to larger numbers. Consistent daily practice with worksheets builds confidence.