Subtract a Number with Zoo Animals — Kindergarten

This kindergarten sheet asks the child to take a written number away from a group they can see. They count the lions, zebras and a giraffe in the picture, then subtract the number the row gives them — removing that many — and write what's left in the box. Half picture and half symbol, it is the natural next step after crossing pictures out: the child still counts to find the answer, but now the amount taken away arrives as a numeral instead of marks on the zoo animals.

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