K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Subtraction Facts - up to 20

⚡️ It's the Final Exam for Subtraction Ninjas! Mix all your strategies together to blast through these subtraction facts.

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 61 of 180

Concept

You possess all the strategies to be a subtraction master: 1. Count Back (For -1, -2, -3) 2. Count On/Distance (For things that are close, like 18 - 16) 3. Step on 10 / Make Ten (For hard teen problems) 4. Un-Doubles (Like 14 - 7) 5. Magic 9 Rule (Add the digits!) 6. Magic 8 Rule (Add 2 to the ones digit!)

Your ultimate goal is Fluency: seeing a problem and instantly pulling the right trick out of your toolkit to solve it in seconds!

Try it

Lightning Round: Subtraction Master!

Instructions: Look at each problem. Choose your fastest strategy and write the answer.

Level 1: Quick Tricks 1. 14 - 9 = ___ (Hint: Magic 9!) 2. 12 - 6 = ___ (Hint: Double!) 3. 15 - 2 = ___ (Hint: Count back!)

Level 2: Step on 10 4. 15 - 7 = ___ 5. 13 - 5 = ___ 6. 12 - 5 = ___

Level 3: The Big Ones 7. 17 - 8 = ___ (Hint: Magic 8 rule, +2 the ones place!) 8. 16 - 9 = ___ 9. 14 - 8 = ___ 10. 19 - 18 = ___ (Hint: Count on! They are close!)

🏆 Champion Question: Which subtraction trick was your favorite to learn, and why?