Free printable worksheets · United Kingdom
KS1 Subtraction Worksheets (Ages 5–7)
KS1 subtraction worksheets are practice sheets for children aged 5–7 in Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2) in the UK. 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, finding the difference between two numbers and fact families linked to addition.
Key Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2 together, the stretch in which a child becomes an independent reader and writer while moving from counting to calculating. Year 1 work centres on phonics and the screening check; Year 2 shifts towards spelling patterns, longer writing and mental arithmetic with two-digit numbers. Between five and six the action moves onto paper. A child crosses out pictures, counts the survivors, and for the first time writes the result as a number sentence with a minus sign. Sheets at this age should stay within ten, show the objects for every problem, and introduce a number line so counting back becomes a strategy rather than a guess. Instant recall of subtraction facts is not expected; counting, out loud, still is.
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KS1 Subtraction Worksheets to print
Browse all worksheets for ages 5–7
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.
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.
Counting Ones Worksheet: Match and Fill in the Blanks!
Children ages 4-6 build early place value understanding by matching numbers to their corresponding sums and filling in blanks with the correct count of ones. This introduces the foundational idea that numbers are made up of countable units, a concept that underlies all later addition, subtraction, and multi-digit math. Matching and filling in blanks together reinforces both number recognition and basic counting accuracy.
Roll the Dice Addition Worksheet for Kids
This dice-based addition worksheet gives children ages 4-6 hands-on practice combining two quantities into a sum, using a physical dice roll to make the abstract idea of addition concrete and random. Rolling, recording, and adding numbers repeatedly builds fluency with numbers 1-6 and reinforces that addition means 'putting together.' The repeated-roll format also builds working memory as children hold two numbers in mind to combine them.
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.
Ascending Order Fun: A Printable Worksheet for Numbers!
Arranging numbers from smallest to largest teaches children ages 4-6 to compare quantities and understand relative magnitude, a skill that underlies later work with number lines, place value, and basic operations. It also reinforces number recognition, since children must correctly identify each numeral before they can decide where it belongs in the sequence.
Crossword Math Worksheet: Fill in the Missing Numbers!
This crossword-style worksheet has 4-6 year olds solve a series of subtraction equations to fill in missing numbers, then cross-check their answers by matching them across and down within the grid — a built-in accuracy check that regular subtraction worksheets don't offer. Because an answer has to be correct in both directions to complete the crossword properly, this format naturally encourages your child to double-check their subtraction rather than move on after a single attempt.
Descending Order Worksheet for Kids: Numbers 63-100
Arranging numbers from largest to smallest asks children ages 4-6 to apply their counting knowledge in reverse, which is a genuinely different mental skill from counting forward and helps solidify a flexible, deep understanding of number order rather than rote recitation. Working within the 63 to 100 range also pushes children to compare two-digit numbers directly, deciding which of two numbers is bigger based on both digits rather than just the first one. This kind of descending practice complements ascending counting practice and rounds out a child's overall number sense.
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 Fun: Count by 5 or 10 Worksheet for Preschoolers!
Counting objects arranged in groups of five or ten teaches children ages 4-6 skip counting, a faster strategy for finding a total than counting every single object one by one. This early efficiency strategy builds a foundation for later multiplication and for quickly estimating larger quantities.
Fruit Addition Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet practices basic addition by having children count two separate groups of fruit and combine the totals into one sum. For four- to six-year-olds, working with pictures of real, countable objects like apples and bananas makes the abstract idea of 'adding' concrete before they're asked to add using numbers alone.
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: Practice Subtracting with Fun Pictures!
Children ages 4-6 practice subtraction by looking at a set of pictured objects, crossing out or removing the indicated amount, and writing the resulting total. Seeing subtraction visually, rather than only as abstract numbers, helps children genuinely understand what 'taking away' means before relying on memorized facts. This visual approach builds a strong foundation for mental math strategies used in later grades.
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.
2D Shapes Worksheet for Preschoolers: Identifying Shapes and Properties
This worksheet pushes 4-6 year olds past simply naming shapes into analyzing their properties — counting sides and corners for circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, and hexagons, and using those properties to answer more complex questions about which shapes combine to form others. That combination-and-composition piece (asking what shapes make up a bigger shape, or identifying a shaded portion) is genuine early geometric reasoning, well beyond simple shape recognition.
Ascending Order Worksheet: Heart-Filled Number Fun!
Using a set of numbered hearts, this worksheet asks children ages 4-6 to compare several numbers at once and arrange them from smallest to largest, building number comparison and ordering skills that go beyond simple counting. Understanding relative size - knowing that 7 is bigger than 3 without needing to count up from one each time - is an important step toward more advanced number sense and mental math.
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.
Froggy Skip Counting Worksheet: Practice Number Patterns!
This worksheet introduces children ages 4-6 to skip counting — counting forward by a number other than one, such as by 2s or 5s — using a playful frog theme to keep the repetitive number pattern engaging. Recognizing and continuing a skip-counting sequence builds early number pattern awareness, a skill that later supports multiplication, telling time, and counting money.
Word Problems Worksheet: Addition Practice for Young Learners
Solving simple addition word problems teaches children ages 4-6 to translate a short story into a number sentence, practicing both reading comprehension and the mechanics of combining two groups into a total.
Tens and Ones Worksheet: Practice Place Value with Fun Elephants!
This worksheet has children break two-digit numbers into their tens and ones parts, then apply that understanding to simple addition and subtraction, a natural next step once place value clicks. For ages four to six, using the playful elephant images keeps a fairly abstract math concept approachable while still building the numerical foundation they'll rely on for years of arithmetic to come.
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.
Word Problems Worksheet: Addition Practice for Kids
Children ages 4-6 practice applying addition to real-life scenarios by reading short word problems and figuring out what numbers to add together, a skill that bridges basic number facts with reading comprehension and problem-solving. Solving word problems teaches children to translate language into math, a step beyond simply adding numbers already given.
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.
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.
What KS1 subtraction worksheets cover
Between five and six the action moves onto paper. A child crosses out pictures, counts the survivors, and for the first time writes the result as a number sentence with a minus sign. Sheets at this age should stay within ten, show the objects for every problem, and introduce a number line so counting back becomes a strategy rather than a guess. Instant recall of subtraction facts is not expected; counting, out loud, still is.
- Cross out pictures and write the matching number sentence within 10
- Hop backward on a 0–10 number line to solve 9 − 4
- Fill subtraction bonds of 5 and 10 with one number missing
- Count down from 10 to 1 aloud before starting the sheet
- Solve a picture word problem: seven ducks, three swim away
How to use these worksheets at home or in class
Because this stage spans two years, match the sheet to what the classroom is doing rather than to age alone: decoding and number bonds for a Year 1 child, comprehension and times tables for a Year 2 child, in sessions of fifteen to twenty minutes.
Start with the sheet that matches what your child can already do, then move one step up. Keep finished sheets in a folder: KS1 teachers often ask for evidence of practice, and children like seeing their own progress.
Is your child ready for KS1 subtraction work?
A child ready for the later half of this stage reads a short passage with reasonable fluency, writes several connected sentences, adds and subtracts within twenty and recalls the 2, 5 and 10 times tables with growing confidence.
- 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
Frequently asked questions
Why does my five-year-old add when the sheet says subtract?
Because adding is the habit and the sign is small. Children at five have spent a year joining groups, so when two numbers appear they combine them unless something stops them. Mixed sheets that alternate plus and minus force a look at the sign each time. Before each row, ask the child to point to the sign and say "take away" or "add" before touching the pencil. The habit usually corrects itself within a few sessions.
What should a KS1 child be able to do in subtraction?
Between five and six the action moves onto paper. A child crosses out pictures, counts the survivors, and for the first time writes the result as a number sentence with a minus sign. Sheets at this age should stay within ten, show the objects for every problem, and introduce a number line so counting back becomes a strategy rather than a guess. Instant recall of subtraction facts is not expected; counting, out loud, still is. A child ready for the later half of this stage reads a short passage with reasonable fluency, writes several connected sentences, adds and subtracts within twenty and recalls the 2, 5 and 10 times tables with growing confidence.
Do these worksheets follow the KS1 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 National Curriculum Key Stage 1 outcomes for KS1. Kindergarten to 1st Grade (US), UKG to Class 1 (India) use the same skills at this age, so the sheets also fit families following those programmes.
Are these KS1 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.
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