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