Rules for subtraction
using a number line.
Everything you need to remember!
So what words mean
subtract (take away)
Which will appear in the box?
altogether
take away
take away
decrease
share
decrease
reduce
fewer than
total
difference
less than
reduce
difference
less than
fewer than
add
Never swap your
numbers around!
• 53 – 25 is not the same as 25 – 53!!
• Leave your take away calculations in
the same order! Take the small
number from the BIG number
Lets do a subtraction like
an addition!
• Remember that subtract also means find
the difference. So look at the number we
are taking away and start there…
53 – 25 =
25
30
40
50
53
Let’s make a jump that we know.
Lets do a subtraction like
an addition!
• Now all we need to do is count how far we
jumped!
53 – 25 = 28
+5
25
+10
+10
30
40
+3
50
10+10= 20
5 + 3= 8
53
Set your workings out in
stages!
Stage 1 53 – 25 =
Stage 2 Start at 25
Stage 3 Count on in jumps that
we know…try a small one
first
Stage 4 Then jump in tens until
your tens are the same,
then single units if you
like!
Remember these
rules and you’ll
never go wrong again!