Find the Missing Number — More Birds — Grade 1

On each row of this Grade 1 worksheet a group of parrots, swans and a crow 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 birds mean a child can always check the missing number by counting rather than guessing it.

Counting up from the result to the starting group is the natural strategy here, and it quietly connects subtraction to addition — what added to the leftover gives the start. That connection is central to Grade 1 number sense, and finding the missing part with birds the child can count keeps the reasoning grounded and checkable.

Children who like more birds 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 breakfast, or find the missing number with dinosaurs. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole birds collection for grade 1 — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.