Teaching subtraction in 1st grade can feel tricky! It seems our sweet friends just got the hang of addition, and now we’re throwing something totally new at them. In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 ideas for teaching subtraction to first graders that will help build their subtraction skills while also boosting their math confidence!

Find all of the activities from this post here!

1. Start with building Conceptual Understanding

Before diving into subtraction facts and procedures, it is so important to make sure our students have a strong conceptual understanding of what subtraction means. We always start with concrete examples (like cookies!) and learn that when we subtract, we take away and find the difference between two numbers.

The first strategy I teach my students is using tools like cubes or counters to make model of subtraction situations.

Students get hands-on practice with building amounts and taking away during our small group time. We talk about how when we subtract, the number we start with is always the biggest. When we take away, the amount gets smaller.

Another way we build understanding is by acting out subtraction situations and connecting to real life. For example, I might tell students, there are 7 kids playing at the park. (I call 7 kids to come stand up) 4 kids went home for lunch (I send 4 students back to their seats) How many are left? We count to find the difference.

Taking the time to build this concrete understanding will give students a solid foundation for future learning!

2. Focus on the Relationship Between Addition and Subtraction

This is so important! We want our students to understand that subtraction is the opposite of addition. When we add, we join parts together to make a whole. When we subtract, we start with the whole and take a part away. The amount we have left is the other part.

My favorite way to help students understand this concept is through Number Bonds. We work on number bonds a ton during our Addition Strategies Unit, so students are familiar with them and how they work.

Students learn to write related equations using number bonds and part part whole mats.

Once students have a good understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction, this will help their fact fluency! They can use related addition facts to help them subtract. For example, if they see the problem 5-3, they can think “I know that 3+2 makes 5, so 5-3 has to equal 2!”

3. Teach a Variety of Subtraction Strategies

Teaching subtraction strategies in first grade is so important for developing fact fluency and helping students to be flexible problem solvers!  I tell my students that strategies are like tools in their tool box. Whenever they need to solve a subtraction problem, they can pull out a tool to solve it!

I introduce each strategy during our whole group mini lessons. I model how to use the strategy and we have some quick guided practice. After the lesson, I add our strategy poster to our math wall.

Students practice the strategy during small group time using math mats and manipulatives.

I also like giving a subtraction strategy sheet to keep in their math folder for easy reference during centers or independent work! Encourage your students to choose the method that works best for them, fostering a sense of ownership over their learning.

4. Focus on Problem Solving

Solving word problems is a huge part of our subtraction unit in 1st grade! I have found that students need daily practice with solving word problems in order to become independent problem solvers. I love using numberless word problems as a quick math warm up before our daily mini lesson.

In order to help your students to become independent problem solvers, it’s important to explicitly teach your students the steps for solving problems! Here’s the steps I teach my 1st graders:

We also work on solving word problems with our subtraction word problems task cards in small group, and students work independently on solving problems in their problem solving journals.

Want more numberless word problems? Check out my Addition and Subtraction Numberless Word Problem Yearlong Bundle!

5. Build Fact Fluency

With our conceptual understanding and concrete practice as a foundation, our goal by the end of first grade is that students can fluently subtract within 10. So how do we get there?

Instead of memorizing facts at random, I believe it is so important to teach our students mental math strategies. We work on strategies such as:

• Count Back to Subtract
• Subtract 0/Subtract All
• Subtract Using Friends of 10
• Backwards Doubles
• Think Addition to Subtract

By grouping facts together in this way, it is easier for students to turn more subtraction problems into “Snap Facts” (or facts you know in a snap 😉) I like to drill flashcards daily. I start our deck with just the facts I’ve taught (I start with subtract 0 and subtract all.) Then I slowly add more types of facts as we learn them!

Subtraction Games and Math Centers

In order to strengthen our fact fluency, I like to incorporate subtraction fact fluency games as much as possible in our math tubs, as small-group warm ups, or whole group activities.

Daily exposure and review of subtraction facts makes such a big difference with growing fact fluency!

Want your Subtraction Strategies Unit planned for you? 

You can grab this 800+ page resource that includes:

• ⭐️ Ready-To-Use Mini Lesson Slides (10 days of lessons)
• ⭐️ Hands-on Activities to use during small group instruction, whole group, and math centers
• ⭐️  Subtraction Strategy Posters and Mini Posters 
• ⭐️ Daily Addition Word Problems
• ⭐️  Worksheets and Independent Practice
• ⭐️ Assessment 

FIND IT HERE!