Grade 1 Subtraction: What is Subtraction?
Learn what subtraction means and how to take away small numbers
What You'll Learn
- Understand that subtraction means taking away
- Learn the minus (-) and equals (=) signs
- Subtract numbers within 5
📖What Does Subtraction Mean?
Subtraction is taking away from a group to find out how many are left. When you subtract, you start with a number and remove some.
📖Subtraction Symbols
The minus sign (-) tells us to subtract. For example: 5 - 2 = 3 means "five minus two equals three" or "five take away two is three."
💡
You can use objects to help! Start with 5 blocks, take away 2, and count what is left.
📖Subtracting with Objects
If you have 4 apples and eat 1, how many are left? Count what remains: 1, 2, 3. You have 3 apples! 4 - 1 = 3
Worked examples
Real problems from the practice worksheets, solved one step at a time.
Example 1
5 − 3 = ?
- Start at 5 on the number line.
- Count backward 3 steps.
- You land on 2.
- Or think: 3 + ? = 5. The answer is 2!
Answer: 2
Example 2
4 − 1 = ?
- Start at 4 on the number line.
- Count backward 1 step.
- You land on 3.
- Or think: 1 + ? = 4. The answer is 3!
Answer: 3
Example 3
4 − 3 = ?
- Start at 4 on the number line.
- Count backward 3 steps.
- You land on 1.
- Or think: 3 + ? = 4. The answer is 1!
Answer: 1