Subtraction with Vehicles — Kindergarten

On every row of this sheet a group of buses, trucks and a digger is there to be thinned out. The child marks the ones that leave with a cross, then counts the vehicles 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.

Taking a few away and counting what is left is the most concrete form of subtraction there is, and it is exactly where five- and six-year-olds begin. Modelling the take-away with pictures the child can cross out keeps the meaning — fewer than we started with — front and centre, well within ten so every answer can be checked by counting.

Children who enjoy vehicles 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 zoo animals, or try subtraction with bakery treats. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole vehicles collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.