Home/Second Grade Math/Lesson 72
K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Subtraction Word Problems - Up to 2-Digits

πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈ Super Sleuth Time! Words are turning into numbers. You have to find the subtraction clues hiding in the story.

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

Lesson 72 of 186

Concept

Don't let long paragraphs scare you. You are just hunting for three things: a big number, a small number, and a clue word.

🎯 The Subtraction Clues (+ The "Wait, What?" Rule):
* The Normal Clues: *Left, gave away, lost, broke, spent, fewer.*
* The "Wait, What?" Clues: *"How many MORE?"* or *"What is the DIFFERENCE?"*
   * *Wait, "More" usually means addition!* But if a story asks "How many *more* apples does Bob have than Joe?" it is asking you to COMPARE two people.
   * COMPARING ALMOST ALWAYS MEANS SUBTRACT! (Big Number - Small Number).

Example: *Bob has 42 apples. Joe has 28 apples. How many more apples does Bob have?* Stacked: 42 - 28 = 14. Bob has 14 more!

Try it

Hunt for the clues!

Instructions: Find the numbers. Write it stacked. Solve!

Mystery 1: A library has 85 books about dinosaurs. Students checked out 47 of them. How many dinosaur books are left on the shelf? * Clue word: _________ * Stacked: 85 - 47 * Answer: ___ books.

Mystery 2: Sarah scored 61 points in the video game. Tim scored 38 points. What is the difference between their scores? * Clue phrase: _________ (Compare! Subtract!) * Stacked: 61 - 38 * Answer: ___ points.

Mystery 3: You have 90 dollars. You spend 54 dollars on a new toy. How much money do you have left? * Answer: ___ dollars.

Mystery 4: A farm has 52 cows and 25 horses. How many more cows are there than horses? * Answer: ___ cows.

Complete & Continue β†’