Find the Missing Number — Trees — Grade 1

"Some oaks, pines and a palm were here, this many are left — how many went away?" That is every row of this sheet. The child finds the missing part by counting up from what remains to the starting group, or by recalling the take-away that fits. Working subtraction from the result backward is the Grade 1 step this practises, with the amounts held within twenty so a child can always count to be sure — the pictured trees make that check quick and concrete.

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 trees keep the strategy concrete rather than abstract.

Children who like trees 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 valentine pictures (black & white), or find the missing number with animals. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole trees collection for grade 1 — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.