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Grade 1 / Class 1 Subtraction Worksheets (Ages 6–7)
Grade 1 / Class 1 subtraction worksheets are practice sheets for children aged 6–7. Subtraction is taking a smaller group away from a larger one, or comparing two groups, to find how many or how much remain. The sheets on this page cover taking away from a group, counting back from a number and finding the difference between two numbers.
Grade 1, known as Class 1 in India and Year 2 in the UK, is where a child works through a full page independently: place value with tens and ones, addition and subtraction within 20, and short reading passages followed by comprehension questions replace picture-supported counting sheets. A six-year-old subtracts within 20 and starts to do it without objects. The useful worksheet at this age links each subtraction to an addition the child already knows, so 13 − 5 is answered by thinking "5 and what makes 13" rather than by eight backward hops. Fact-family boxes, missing-number sentences and finding the difference between two rows of pictures all belong here. Do not expect speed yet; expect a chosen strategy.
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Grade 1 / Class 1 Subtraction Worksheets to print
Browse all worksheets for ages 6–7
Time Telling Worksheet: Circle the Correct Time!
Reading an analog clock face and choosing the matching time from three written options builds clock-reading fluency for children ages 5-7, requiring them to interpret both the hour and minute hands together rather than guessing from a single hand.
3-Digit Subtraction Worksheet for Kids
Subtracting three-digit numbers introduces children to borrowing, or regrouping, across place value columns, a more demanding skill than simple subtraction since it requires understanding that a ten can be 'broken' into ones when a column doesn't have enough to subtract from. For ages five to seven, this worksheet builds the procedural foundation for confident multi-digit subtraction going forward.
3-Digit Addition Worksheet for Kids
Adding two three-digit numbers requires children to work through the ones, tens, and hundreds columns in order and understand how a sum in one column can carry over into the next, a significant step up from single-digit addition. For ages six to eight, mastering this column-based process builds the procedural fluency needed for all future multi-digit arithmetic.
Descending Order Worksheet: Numbers 1-100
Arranging numbers from largest to smallest requires children to compare multiple quantities at once and hold a mental number line firmly enough to reverse their usual forward-counting habit, making this noticeably more challenging than ascending order practice. For ages four to six working with numbers up to 100, this builds flexible number sense that supports later skills like rounding and estimating.
Mental Addition Worksheet for Kids: Practice Adding Numbers!
This worksheet builds mental math fluency by asking children to solve simple addition problems in their heads rather than relying on counters or drawings, strengthening the internal number sense that supports faster, more confident arithmetic. For ages 4-6, moving from concrete counting toward mental calculation is a significant milestone that sets the foundation for later multi-digit addition.
Word Problems Worksheet: Practice Subtraction with Fun Pictures!
This subtraction word problem worksheet gives children ages 4-6 practice translating a short story into a math equation, using pictures of objects being taken away to make the abstract idea of subtraction concrete. Reading, counting, and subtracting in sequence builds the same problem-solving pathway children will rely on for more advanced word problems later in school. Visual supports, like crossed-out or removed objects in the pictures, help children see subtraction as an action rather than just a symbol.
Addition Worksheet: Adding Numbers with Fun Pictures!
This worksheet gives children ages 4-6 practice with simple addition by having them combine two groups of pictured objects and write the resulting total, reinforcing the core idea that addition means putting groups together to find 'how many in all.' Working from pictures rather than numbers alone helps bridge concrete counting to the more abstract number sentences children will encounter as their math skills progress.
Word Problems Worksheet for Early Learners
Word problems ask 4-6 year olds to do something harder than a bare equation: read a short story, figure out what operation it's describing, and only then do the addition or subtraction. That translation step — turning 'Sam had 3 apples and ate 1' into a subtraction fact — is the real skill this worksheet builds, and it's the foundation for all later math word problems your child will encounter in school. Because the numbers here stay small, the challenge is almost entirely about comprehension rather than calculation.
Subtraction Fun: Count and Subtract with Cute Animals!
Counting a group of animal pictures and then crossing out or removing a specified number teaches children ages 4-6 the concept of subtraction as taking away from a starting quantity, which is easier to grasp visually than through numbers alone. Writing the remaining total after the take-away step reinforces that subtraction results in a smaller, specific number, connecting the physical act of removing objects to a written numeral. Using cute animal pictures as the countable objects keeps a potentially tricky math concept approachable and fun.
Time Worksheet: Observe Events and Find the Duration!
Children ages 4-6 practice an early concept of time and duration by reading about a series of daily events and calculating how long an activity lasted by adding up time spent. This introduces the idea that time can be measured and combined, a stepping stone toward reading clocks and understanding schedules later on.
Count and Paste! Tens and Ones Worksheet
Counting groups of teddy bears and then matching each total to its tens-and-ones representation teaches children ages 4-6 to connect a counted quantity with its place value breakdown, reinforcing that numbers can be represented in more than one way. Cutting and pasting the matching representation adds fine motor practice to the counting and place value work.
Subtraction Worksheet: Count and Subtract for Preschoolers
This worksheet introduces children ages 4-6 to subtraction by having them count a group of objects, take away the indicated amount, and write the resulting difference. Grounding subtraction in physical counting rather than abstract number facts helps children build real number sense, understanding subtraction as 'taking away' rather than just memorizing symbols and answers.
Addition Fun: Counting and Adding Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet builds foundational addition skills by having children count two separate groups of objects and then combine those counts to find a total sum. For ages 4-6, grounding addition in physical counting of pictured objects, rather than abstract numbers alone, helps children understand that addition means putting two groups together to make a bigger group.
Counting and Comparing: Greater Than, Less Than, or Equal To Worksheet
This worksheet builds on basic counting by asking children to compare two separate groups of pictures and decide whether one group has more, fewer, or the same number as the other, then represent that relationship with the correct symbol. For four- to six-year-olds, this task combines accurate counting with comparative reasoning, both of which are essential building blocks for later mathematical problem solving.
Measurement Worksheet: Matching and Measuring Objects!
This worksheet moves children from an intuitive sense of size toward the more formal skill of using a ruler to measure length in units, bridging estimation with actual measurement. For ages four to six, matching objects to an approximate number of units first, then confirming with a ruler, helps them see measurement as something they can predict and then verify rather than an arbitrary number.
Subtraction Fun: Count and Subtract with Hands and Objects!
This worksheet introduces basic subtraction by having children count a starting group of objects and then 'take away' a smaller amount indicated by the minus sign, connecting the abstract concept of subtraction to something they can see and count. For four- to six-year-olds, visualizing subtraction as physically removing objects from a group — rather than just manipulating numbers — makes the concept concrete before they move to solving subtraction problems with numbers alone.
Fun Add & Subtract Worksheet for Preschoolers!
This worksheet introduces children ages 4-6 to the basics of addition and subtraction by having them count pictured objects, record the quantities, and then combine or take away groups to find a total. Working with visual objects rather than abstract numbers alone helps children build a concrete understanding of what addition and subtraction actually mean before they're expected to solve equations using numbers only.
Dragon Egg Numbers: Counting to 50 Worksheet
Filling in the missing numbers across a run of dragon eggs stretches a 4-6 year old's counting range well past the more common 1-20 practice, into territory where number patterns — like how every decade starts a new '_1, _2, _3' pattern — start to become visible. It's a strong bridge activity between rote counting and genuinely understanding how the number system is built.
Addition Fun: Count and Add the Pictures Worksheet!
Counting two separate groups of pictured objects and combining their totals introduces children ages 4-6 to the core concept of addition as joining quantities together, before they ever see an addition sign written out. Writing the final sum in the answer box connects this hands-on counting process to numeral writing, reinforcing that a math answer is a specific, countable quantity rather than an abstract symbol. This picture-based approach to addition builds a concrete foundation that supports later work with number-only equations.
Addition and Subtraction Sums Worksheet for Preschoolers
Practicing addition and subtraction problems within 10 together, rather than in separate worksheets, helps children see the two operations as related, that subtraction can undo addition, which builds more flexible number sense than drilling each skill in isolation. For ages four to six, working within small numbers keeps the focus on understanding the operations rather than on managing large quantities.
Tens and Ones Worksheet: Counting and Place Value Practice!
This worksheet introduces children ages 4-6 to place value by having them look at a two-digit number, break it into groups of ten and single ones, and represent each group by drawing the matching number of crayons. Understanding that '23' means two full groups of ten plus three more is a foundational concept for all later multi-digit addition, subtraction, and number sense.
Addition Worksheet for Kids: Add Horizontally and Vertically!
Children ages 4-6 practice basic addition by solving problems arranged both horizontally, like '3 + 2 =,' and vertically, in a stacked column format, building flexibility with the two most common ways addition problems appear in early math worksheets and textbooks. Learning both formats now means neither will feel unfamiliar once formal school math introduces them side by side.
Addition Worksheet: Find and Write Equations!
Writing an addition equation from a picture — rather than solving one that's already written — asks children ages 4-6 to translate a visual quantity into mathematical symbols, a more demanding skill than simply computing a given sum. This worksheet has children count grouped objects, represent what they see as a written equation, and then solve it, connecting concrete counting to abstract number sentences. Practicing this translation step is exactly what builds true number sense, rather than just memorized addition facts.
Festive Math: Count and Add Objects Worksheet
Children ages 4-6 practice counting groups of festival-themed objects and combining them through simple addition, building early number sense and the concept that addition means putting two groups together. Counting festive imagery keeps the math concrete and visual, which is especially important before children can add using abstract numerals alone.
What Grade 1 / Class 1 subtraction worksheets cover
A six-year-old subtracts within 20 and starts to do it without objects. The useful worksheet at this age links each subtraction to an addition the child already knows, so 13 − 5 is answered by thinking "5 and what makes 13" rather than by eight backward hops. Fact-family boxes, missing-number sentences and finding the difference between two rows of pictures all belong here. Do not expect speed yet; expect a chosen strategy.
- Write all four facts in a family from 8, 6 and 14
- Find the missing number in 15 − ? = 9
- Subtract through ten in two steps, taking 4 then 2 from 14
- Compare two rows of pictures and say how many more
- Recall subtraction facts within 10 without counting
How to use these worksheets at home or in class
About twenty minutes a day, split between one math page and one reading page on alternating days, matches what most first grade teachers assign as homework. Have your child read every instruction aloud before starting, since that doubles as reading practice.
Start with the sheet that matches what your child can already do, then move one step up. Keep finished sheets in a folder: Grade 1 / Class 1 teachers often ask for evidence of practice, and children like seeing their own progress.
Is your child ready for Grade 1 / Class 1 subtraction work?
A child ready for this stage reads and writes numerals fluently to 20, blends simple words into sentences, follows a written instruction without help, and can explain out loud how they solved a problem rather than only stating the answer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop my six-year-old counting back on fingers for every sum?
Fingers are not the problem; using them for facts the child could already know is. Sort the sheet into two piles: facts within 10, which should be recalled, and facts within 20, worked out with a strategy. For the first pile, drill the matching addition until it is automatic, then show that 10 − 7 is 7 + 3 read backward. For the second, teach subtracting to 10 first. Finger use fades once facts are known.
What should a Grade 1 / Class 1 child be able to do in subtraction?
A six-year-old subtracts within 20 and starts to do it without objects. The useful worksheet at this age links each subtraction to an addition the child already knows, so 13 − 5 is answered by thinking "5 and what makes 13" rather than by eight backward hops. Fact-family boxes, missing-number sentences and finding the difference between two rows of pictures all belong here. Do not expect speed yet; expect a chosen strategy. A child ready for this stage reads and writes numerals fluently to 20, blends simple words into sentences, follows a written instruction without help, and can explain out loud how they solved a problem rather than only stating the answer.
Do these worksheets follow the Grade 1 / Class 1 curriculum?
The sheets cover taking away from a group, counting back from a number, finding the difference between two numbers and fact families linked to addition, which sit inside the Common Core Grade 1 (1.OA, 1.NBT, RF.1.3); NEP 2020 Foundational Stage Class 1; National Curriculum KS1 (Year 2) outcomes for Grade 1 / Class 1. Class 1 (India), Year 2 (UK) use the same skills at this age, so the sheets also fit families following those programmes.
Are these Grade 1 / Class 1 subtraction worksheets free?
Yes. Each worksheet downloads free as a watermarked PDF once you create an account, with a limit of five a day. An annual membership ($20) removes the watermark and the limit for the whole library of over 1,000 worksheets and every printable pack.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Written and reviewed by Hemsweta Jain (Teacher Cheena), who designs every RaisoActive worksheet.
Last reviewed
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