Find the Missing Number — Fourth of July Things — Grade 1

On each row of this Grade 1 worksheet a group of flags, stars and a drum is shown, some are taken away, and the number left is given — the child works out how many went away. It is the missing-number side of subtraction: instead of being told what to take, the child sees the start and the result and finds the part in between. Counting up from what's left to the starting group is the natural way in, all kept within twenty, and the pictured Fourth of July things mean a child can always check the missing number by counting rather than guessing it.

Finding the missing part of a subtraction — how many were taken to reach the result — is a genuine step up from plain take-away, and it is core Grade 1 work. It asks a child to relate subtraction to its inverse, working backward from the result, and keeping the numbers within twenty means they can always check by counting up from what's left.

Children who like fourth of july things take to the puzzle of working backward, and it suits a child ready for a little more than plain take-away. When this feels easy, try find the missing number with accessories, or find the missing number with birds. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole Fourth of July things collection for grade 1 — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.