Skip to content
Start My 3 Free Days $0 today · cancel anytime
Worksheet

What is the Addition Subtraction Rule Worksheet

In this What is the Addition Subtraction Rule Worksheet, 3rd grade students find the hidden rule in six IN/OUT tables, complete each pattern, and solve two word problems. An answer key is included.

$6.97

Want a discount? Become a member!
somdn_product_page

Want this one free?

Tell us where to send it and it’s yours — no card, no catch.

One free resource per teacher. We’ll also send free teaching ideas each week — unsubscribe anytime.

Free teacher account · no credit card

Membership

Get every game, song, & printable

  • Every game, on any device
  • 6,500+ resources
  • Assign online with HFT Classroom
Start my 3 free days

Then $39.97/year · cancel anytime · See plans

  • Instant digital download
  • Printable PDF + answer key
  • Made by real teachers
Share

Teacher / Family membership

Teaching is easier with every resource

One membership for your whole year: 6,500+ worksheets, games, songs and videos for Preschool–6th, for your classroom or homeschool.

  • Unlimited printables & downloads
  • Every game, on any device
  • Assign online with HFT Classroom
  • Cancel anytime

Teacher / Family membership · 3 days free

★ Most teachers pick Yearly

Yearly

Monthly would be $119.64 a year

$3.33/month

Billed $39.97 once a year

You save $79.67 every year

Start My 3 Free Days

$0 today · cancel anytime

Monthly

$9.97/month

Flexible, month to month

Yearly is just $3.33/mo. Switch and save $79.67

Start My 3 Free Days

$0 today · cancel anytime

About this resource

Description

How to teach Number Patterns

This What is the Addition Subtraction Rule Worksheet asks students to study an IN/OUT table, work out the single rule that turns every IN number into its OUT number, and then use that rule to finish the pattern. A function table is one of the first places children meet the idea that a rule can be applied over and over to different inputs, and that idea grows straight into algebra. Because the rule is hidden, students cannot answer by guessing: they have to compare a pair of numbers, test the difference against a second pair, and only then commit. That habit of checking a pattern against more than one example is exactly what the standards mean by identifying arithmetic patterns and explaining them.

The worksheet has two parts. Part A gives six IN/OUT tables, three with an addition rule and three with a subtraction rule, all inside 0 to 100 so the arithmetic stays comfortable for 3rd grade. For each table the student writes the rule on the line and fills in the one missing OUT number. Part B moves the same thinking into two short word problems, where the student names the rule that fits the story and then writes the answer. A complete answer key is included on the last page.

What’s Included

  • One printable worksheet page plus a full answer key
  • Six IN/OUT function tables with a hidden addition or subtraction rule
  • A rule line and one missing number to complete in every table
  • Two word problems that ask for the rule and the answer
  • All values inside 0 to 100, written for 3rd grade

Three reasons this helps kids

  • Finding a hidden rule builds the pattern thinking that later becomes algebra
  • Testing the rule on a second pair teaches students to check before they answer
  • Moving from tables to word problems shows the same rule at work in a real story

Ideas for teachers and parents

Use this What is the Addition Subtraction Rule Worksheet as a warm up, a math center task, or a quick check after a lesson on arithmetic patterns. This 3rd grade patterns worksheet works the same way at home. Ask students to say the rule out loud in a full sentence before they write it, then to prove it on a second row of the table. Partners can trade papers, cover the rule line, and try to rediscover each other’s rules. For an extension, have students invent one more IN/OUT table of their own, hand it to a partner, and see whether the partner can name the rule.

Related Resources

What teachers say

Reviews

Write a review, earn store credit

Get 25¢ in credit for every approved review of a resource you’ve downloaded, played or purchased — up to 15 a month. Credit applies automatically to your membership payments, so your reviews can help pay for your membership.

Honest reviews only — any star rating earns the same. Program rules

Reviews

There are no reviews yet

Be the first to review “What is the Addition Subtraction Rule Worksheet”