Subtraction within 20 worksheets
Take-away and difference, with answers that never go below zero.
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About subtraction within 20
Subtraction is harder than addition for most children, and the reason is usually that it has been taught as only one thing. 13 − 8 can mean 'take 8 away from 13' or 'how far is it from 8 to 13'. The second reading is far easier to count on your fingers.
Every sheet here keeps the answer at zero or above, so a child never meets negative numbers before they have been taught them.
What actually helps
- Teach subtraction as 'the difference between' as well as 'take away'.
- Link every subtraction to its addition: 13 − 8 = 5 because 8 + 5 = 13.
- If they can do the addition but not the subtraction, the fact family is the missing piece.
Common questions
Why is subtraction harder than addition?
Partly because it is not commutative — 8 − 3 and 3 − 8 are not the same — and partly because it is often taught with only one meaning. Teaching 'difference' alongside 'take away' helps a lot.
What is a fact family?
A set of related facts using the same three numbers: 5 + 8 = 13, 8 + 5 = 13, 13 − 5 = 8, 13 − 8 = 5. Learning them as a group is far more efficient than learning them separately.
Thank you — that genuinely helps.
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