Subtract a Number with Animals — Kindergarten

On this sheet the child meets a picture and a number to subtract on the same line. They count the group of cows, sheep and a hen, read the number after the minus sign, and take that many away to find the rest. Keeping one side a countable group of animals gives a child who is still shaky on written numbers a concrete place to start, while the numeral gently introduces the symbol their subtraction will lean on later.

Counting back from a total, rather than recounting the leftovers from one, is a key kindergarten step, and pairing the number with a group of animals to count makes it concrete. The picture anchors the meaning while the numeral does the new work, so the symbol is introduced exactly when the child has something real to take it from.

Children who enjoy animals settle into this quickly once crossing-out feels easy, and it suits a calm independent task. When this feels easy, take some away in subtract a number with household things, or try subtract a number with breakfast. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole animals collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.