Subtract a Number with Tools — Kindergarten

Counting down from a number is the new move here, and the pictures keep it grounded. The child counts the group of hammers, saws and a wrench, then subtracts the written number by counting back that many, landing on how many tools remain. Reading the amount to remove as a numeral — while the starting group stays a set you can count — is the gentlest way to bring written numbers into take-away, with totals small enough to check by counting.

Taking a written number away from a group you can count is a real milestone for a five-year-old. It is where counting back begins — starting from the pictured tools and stepping down by the number — and where a child first feels that a numeral is just a quick way of writing an amount they could have crossed out by hand.

Children who enjoy tools 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 toys, or try subtract a number with fourth of july things. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole tools collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.