{"id":13345,"date":"2024-03-07T10:09:32","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T18:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abcmouse.com\/learn\/?p=13345"},"modified":"2025-11-14T17:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T01:20:21","slug":"how-to-teach-subtraction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abcmouse.com\/learn\/advice\/how-to-teach-subtraction\/13345","title":{"rendered":"How to Teach Subtraction\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to Teach Subtraction – Easy Strategies for Parents and Teachers<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Get strategies for teaching your child subtraction and a few tips and tricks to help make learning more effective and enjoyable.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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By ABCmouse Editors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviewed by Owen Bissell<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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An Overview of Subtraction by Early Grade Levels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Subtraction Facts Important?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Subtraction Facts?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to Start Learning Subtraction Facts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What Kids Should Know Before Learning Subtraction Facts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategies for Teaching Subtraction<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on Understanding, Not Memorization<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helpful Resources and Tools<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Teaching kids how to subtract is like unlocking a new level in the game of numbers. However, figuring out the best way to teach kids subtraction can sometimes feel overwhelming. It requires patience, the right approach, and adding in some fun!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide aims to help you teach your child basic subtraction and includes an overview of the parts of a subtraction problem, subtraction strategies you can use with your child<\/strong>, how to approach subtraction facts, and more. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, we hope you\u2019ll find a few helpful tips and fun tricks for teaching subtraction to your young child.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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An Overview of Subtraction by Early Grade Levels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When hearing the word subtraction, many people immediately think it simply means how many items remain after removing some. While subtraction typically starts with this foundational concept, it grows more complex as children get older and you\u2019ll find subtraction goes beyond the concrete level of just taking away or removing items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In kindergarten, children will focus on understanding what subtraction means with situations that are very straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An example of a kindergarten-level subtraction problem<\/strong> might look like this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There were 5 frogs. 2 frogs hopped away. How many frogs are left?  <\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As students move on to first and second grade, the situations involving subtraction are expanded and become more complex. For instance, comparing two quantities of objects and telling how many more or fewer involves subtraction by finding the difference, a process that is more abstract than just taking away or removing concrete objects.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An example of a first- or second-grade subtraction concept<\/strong> is knowing the total number of objects and needing to find a missing part. This involves subtraction but is not necessarily focused on taking away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sarah has 18 apples. 6 of her apples are green while the rest of her apples are red. How many red apples does Sarah have?<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Why Are Subtraction Facts Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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While at one time rote memorization of subtraction facts was a regular part of learning subtraction (think flashcards), this approach can sometimes cause children to feel extra pressure<\/strong> and typically eliminates the benefits of visual aids. Memorization also removes more meaningful understanding that can come from solving math problems in contextualized situations.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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However, practicing subtraction facts, such as 5 – 3, after establishing a baseline of understanding can lead to recalling math facts more efficiently, helping children to prepare for learning new math concepts. <\/p>\n\n\n

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What are Subtraction Facts?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Subtraction facts include all the differences that children can find between numbers. Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing subtraction facts to work on with your child: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For children in second grade and below:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n