Mixed Subtraction with Camping Gear — Grade 1

Some rows here are take-away-and-find-the-result; some are find-what-was-taken. In the first a written number leaves a group of tents, torches and a backpack and the child counts what remains; in the second the result is shown and the child works out the part that left. Mixing the two is real Grade 1 practice — it asks a child to notice which kind of question each row is before solving. All of it stays within twenty, so the camping gear on the page are always few enough to count and be sure.

Seeing both "take this away, what's left?" and "what was taken to leave this?" on one sheet builds the start-change-result understanding Grade 1 is after. The child learns the three numbers move together, whichever is missing. Keeping camping gear pictured and amounts within twenty means the reasoning stays something a child can verify by counting.

Children who like camping gear enjoy not knowing which question is coming next, and it keeps a small group thinking. When this feels easy, try mixed subtraction with christmas, or mixed subtraction with faces (black & white). You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole camping gear collection for grade 1 — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.