Subtraction with Dinosaurs — Kindergarten

On every row of this sheet a group of a T. rex, a stegosaurus and a raptor is there to be thinned out. The child marks the ones that leave with a cross, then counts the dinosaurs that are left to find the answer. Nothing has to be read first — the picture is the problem, and the crossing-out is the subtraction. Keeping the groups small means a child can always check by counting what remains rather than guessing.

Modelling subtraction as physically removing some of a group is how the meaning lands before the symbol does. A child who crosses out dinosaurs and counts the rest is subtracting in the truest sense, and because the amounts stay small, the leftover group can always be counted one by one to be sure.

Children who enjoy dinosaurs take to crossing out quickly, and it works as a calm hands-on task or a whole-class action on the board. When this feels easy, take some away in subtraction with easter, or try subtraction with furniture. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole dinosaurs collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.