Subtraction Within 10
Skill: Subtracting from numbers up to 10
Download PDF worksheetAnswer key (PDF)
Free for personal and classroom use. Print at 100% / "Actual size" on US Letter paper.
About this worksheet
Subtraction is often trickier than addition for young learners, and this first-grade worksheet gives them calm, steady practice. It includes 24 vertical subtraction problems where the starting number is 10 or less and the answer is never negative. A few problems subtract zero or subtract a number from itself, which helps children discover useful patterns.
How to use it: children can solve by taking away objects, counting back on a number line, or, best of all, by thinking of addition. For example, to solve 9 - 4, ask, "4 plus what makes 9?" This "think addition" strategy is exactly what standard 1.OA.B.4 describes: understanding subtraction as an unknown-addend problem. Counters, small toys, or snack pieces make the idea concrete for children who need it.
The second page is an answer key with every difference in order, so checking is quick for parents and teachers. When a child misses a problem, have them show it with objects and then write the related addition fact. This worksheet supports Common Core standards 1.OA.C.6 (fluency for subtraction within 10) and 1.OA.B.4 (subtraction as an unknown-addend problem). Use it alongside our Addition Within 10 worksheet to practice whole fact families such as 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 3 = 8, 8 - 5 = 3, and 8 - 3 = 5.
Count and Trace Numbers 1-10
Addition Within 10
Sight Words: Trace and Fill In