Subtracting within twenty uses the strategies first graders have learned for adding: counting back, thinking of the matching addition fact and going down to ten first. The best way to build them is plenty of plain practice with the number sentence itself. This worksheet is a clean page of subtraction sentences in one shape: a number, a minus sign, a number and a line for the answer.
There are no pictures, no true or false and no word problems on this page, so your child does one thing the whole way down. Support sheets start from 11 to 14, standard sheets from 12 to 18, and challenge sheets from 15 to 20. If a fact stalls, think of the addition fact: for 14 - 6, what plus 6 makes 14?
What your child will learn
Subtract within 20
Count back, or go down to ten first
Use an addition fact to find a subtraction fact
Recall subtraction facts from memory
Common Core standard: 1.OA.C.6
Worked example
13 - 5: take 3 to get down to 10, then take 2 more. 10 - 2 = 8. Write 8.
Common mistake
Counting the starting number as one of the numbers taken away, so ending one too high or too low.
Helpful hint
Think of the matching addition fact: 5 + what makes 13?