SUBTRACTION  STRATEGIES  

Counting Back:  Use this when subtracting 1, 2, or 3.  Remember to count backwards; the numbers will get smaller!  Put the big number in your head, hold up the number of fingers showing how many you will count back.  Example:  56 – 3 = ___  “Put 56 in your head, hold up 3 fingers and count back 55, 54, 53.  53 is your answer.

Counting Up:   Use this only when the numbers are close to each other:   25 – 22 = ___    Picture the number line 1-25 in your mind; take away the numbers 1 through 22, count how many numbers are left: 23, 24, 25.  That’s 3 more numbers; 3 is your answer.

Subtracting All:     8 – 8 = 0

Number Family:      9 – 6 = ___  

Remember that the parts of 9 are 6 and 3

Remembering Doubles: 

               18 – 9 = ___   

              Remember that 9 + 9 = 18