Subtraction with Thanksgiving — Kindergarten

Each row of this kindergarten worksheet shows a group of turkeys, pumpkins and a pie and asks the child to cross some of them out, then write how many are left. Crossing-out is the heart of it: the child physically removes the Thanksgiving things that go away and counts the ones that remain, so subtraction is something they do with their hands before it is ever a written symbol. The pictures carry the whole problem, so a child who cannot yet read an equation can still solve every line.

The last number you count among the ones left names how many remain — and that is the answer to a take-away. Linking the count of what's left to the result is the understanding kindergartners are forming, and crossing pictures out keeps it something they can point to and recount for themselves whenever they are unsure.

Children who enjoy thanksgiving 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 things that fly, or try subtraction with vehicles. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole Thanksgiving things collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.