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Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheets

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Subtraction within 10 for kindergarten: cross-out pictures, take away with ten frames, number lines, subtraction sentences, facts, word problems and mixed practice.

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About these kindergarten subtraction worksheets

Subtraction in kindergarten means taking away. These subtraction worksheets for kindergarten begin with cross-out pictures: there are 5 apples, cross out 2, and count how many are left. Crossing out keeps the whole group on the page, so children can see what was there, what was taken and what remains.

Next come subtraction sentences for pictures, taking away counters in a ten frame, and hopping back on a number line. The fact pages build quick recall within 5 and then practice within 10. Read-aloud word problems ask children to draw the story, and the mixed pages ask them to read the sign and decide whether to add or subtract.

Every page has K-size answer boxes and an answer key on page 2. The pictures are simple black-and-white shapes, so the sheets print and copy cleanly.

Standards

  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.1Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds, acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.2Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.5Fluently add and subtract within 5.

How to use them

  1. Act it out first. Line up 6 toys, take 2 away and ask how many are left. Then do the cross-out pages the same way.
  2. Cross out from the end of the row, one at a time, counting as you go. Then count only the pictures that are not crossed out.
  3. On the ten frame pages, cross out dots starting with the last one. A full frame minus some dots shows how many are left at a glance.
  4. On the number line pages, start at the dot and hop back toward 0, one hop for each number you take away.
  5. Read the word problems aloud. Ask, "Is something being added or taken away?" before your child writes the sentence.
  6. Save the mixed add-and-subtract pages for after both operations feel easy. They are good practice in reading the sign.

Teaching tips

  • Children often count the crossed-out pictures by mistake. Have them touch only the pictures that are left as they count.
  • Subtracting 0 and subtracting a number from itself (4 − 4) are worth acting out: nothing taken, or everything taken.
  • If your child adds when they should subtract, cover the sign and ask them to say it first: "minus means take away."
  • Connect subtraction to number bonds: if 5 is 3 and 2, then 5 take away 2 is 3.
  • For extra challenge, ask your child to tell a take-away story for a fact like 8 − 3.

Questions teachers and parents ask

How do you teach subtraction to kindergartners?

Start with taking away real objects, then cross out pictures, then use ten frames and number lines. Move to numbers only once your child can explain what is being taken away.

What subtraction should kindergartners know?

Kindergartners subtract within 10 using objects or drawings, solve simple take-away word problems, and subtract within 5 quickly.

Why cross out instead of erasing or covering?

Crossing out keeps the starting group visible, so children can check their work and see the whole, the part taken away and the part left.

Do the subtraction worksheets have answer keys?

Yes. Every subtraction worksheet has an answer key on page 2, showing the crossed-out pictures, hops or drawings along with the answers.

Should I teach addition before subtraction?

Most children learn them side by side. Start addition a little earlier, then introduce subtraction as taking away, and use the mixed pages once both make sense.