Find the Missing Number — Pets — Grade 1

Here a child meets the missing-number form of subtraction: a group of cats, dogs and a rabbit, the amount remaining, and a blank for how many were removed. Solving it means counting up from what's left to the start, or finding the take-away that fits — reasoning about subtraction rather than just performing it. The pictured pets and the within-twenty range keep the thinking concrete and self-checkable, so a Grade 1 child can confirm the missing number by counting whenever they are unsure.

The missing-number form rehearses inverse thinking: if a group became this many, what was removed? A Grade 1 child answers by counting up or by knowing the take-away that fits, both of which strengthen the link between adding and subtracting. Within-twenty amounts and pictured pets keep the strategy concrete rather than abstract.

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