Taking Away to Subtract Worksheet

Subtraction starts with a picture a child can actually see. Before a kindergartner can hold a number fact in their head, they need to count a set of real objects, take some of them away, and count what is left. This Taking Away to Subtract Worksheet builds that first, concrete bridge between counting and subtracting. Children look at a row of apples, balloons, cupcakes, or flowers, cross out the ones being taken away, and then write how many are left. Every problem stays within six, so the numbers never get in the way of the idea, and the pictures do the explaining.

This kindergarten subtraction worksheet gives students four picture problems and one short word problem on a single, uncluttered page. Read the directions together, then let children mark the page themselves. Crossing out is the whole point: the pencil marks turn an abstract minus sign into an action the child performed. Model the first item aloud, count the leftover pictures with them, and then write the answer on the line. The last problem asks students to read a short story about Sofia and her pencils, cross out two, and record the difference. A full answer key is included on page two so grading takes seconds.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 4 cross-out picture subtraction problems (within 6)
• 1 illustrated subtraction word problem

There are three reasons this Taking Away to Subtract Worksheet helps young learners. First, it keeps the quantities small and countable, so children succeed early and stay confident. Second, it pairs the picture, the equation, and the written answer in one line, which helps students connect the drawing to the symbols instead of treating them as separate skills. Third, the crossing-out step gives a physical record of the thinking, so a teacher can see at a glance whether a child understood the take-away idea or simply guessed a number.

Keep the practice going away from the page. Line up six crackers at snack time and eat two, then ask how many are left. Pop bubbles, remove blocks from a tower, or take toy cars off a shelf and say the subtraction sentence out loud together. Draw circles on a whiteboard and let your child be the one to cross them out. Sing a counting-down song on the way to school. Small, playful repetitions like these make subtraction feel like something children already know how to do.

Related Resources

• Subtracting Within 5 Worksheet
• Subtraction Word Problem Worksheet
• Christmas Single Digit Subtraction Worksheet
• Count Objects 1 to 5 Micro Lesson (Have Fun Teaching on YouTube)