Math Activities for Subtraction

Students must learn subtraction principles at an early age.

Teachers in elementary schools must find interesting and creative ways to help their students memorize subtraction facts. Subtraction is a basic arithmetic lesson that is taught throughout several grade levels. As students move through grade levels, the basics of subtraction are used in more complex mathematical problems.

Interactive Games

With the increase of available technology, many teachers are using interactive activities to help students learn even basic ideas such as subtraction. The Internet has a variety of interactive subtraction games available for teachers to use in their classrooms, and many of them are compatible with SMART boards. These subtraction games provide a fun learning environment while helping young students learn the basic principles of mathematics.

Subtraction Worksheets

After a lesson on subtraction has been taught, put the student's recently learned knowledge into practice. Using subtraction worksheets in the classroom will help the students gain a better understanding of the lesson. Oftentimes, these worksheets use subtraction in a variety of circumstances, allowing the students to learn beyond the basic facts.

Mad Minute

Mad Minute is a math activity that can be used with subtraction facts. This activity is a type of quiz in which students are given a set of subtraction problems -- these can range from basic subtraction facts to more complex problem sets, depending on the grade level. The students are given one minute to complete the quiz. This helps students learn to memorize subtraction facts, while increasing their proficiency and accuracy.

Subtraction Bowling

This is a fun game that can involve the entire class. The teacher sets up 2-liter soda bottles like bowling pins. The students use a soft ball to bowl the pins down. Then, have the students do subtraction facts. If they started with 10 pins, and knocked three down, ask them how many are left up. Have them write the subtraction facts on the chalkboard. This encourages the students to use mental math while also enjoying a fun activity.

References

• Fun 4 The Brain: Subtraction Games
• Kid Zone: Subtraction Math Activity Worksheets
• Math Cats: Addition and Subtraction Ideas Bank