Does this work as a mad minute drill?

Yes. Start a one-minute timer, count the correct answers, and print a fresh 30-fact sheet for tomorrow's round.

Why is subtraction slower than addition for my child?

It's normal: subtraction facts have fewer patterns to lean on. Linking each one to its addition partner closes the gap fastest.

2nd grade subtraction within 20

2nd grade subtraction within 20 worksheets

Second graders are expected to subtract within 20 from memory by the end of the year. This sheet drills those facts in a vertical stack, and it works as a timed mad-minute grid too.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 2.OA.B.2.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of problems you'll get

Solve each problem.

9 − 0 =
Answer: 9
2 − 0 =
Answer: 2
3 − 0 =
Answer: 3

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on a 2nd grade sheet

The sample sheet above has 30 problems. Its answers run from 0 to 17. On the 1st grade sample they run from 0 to 16. The 1st grade sample has 25. This sheet is aligned to 2.OA.B.2. The 1st grade sheet is aligned to 1.OA.C.6.

Subtraction within 20: fluency practice. Solve each problem. 30 problems per page.
Subtraction within 20: mad-minute grid. Solve each problem. 20 problems per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

How to teach this

Link every subtraction fact to its addition partner: 15 − 7 lives next to 8 + 7. Circle the slow facts and revisit just those the next day. Bring in the timer only after the answers are reliably right.

Watch for: Kids count backward one at a time and lose track. Counting UP from the smaller number (13 − 9: 9 to 13 is 4) is faster and surer. Kids read 13 − 5 as 15 − 3 when working fast. Have them touch the first number and say it before subtracting.

Common questions about 2nd grade subtraction within 20

Does this work as a mad minute drill?: Yes. Start a one-minute timer, count the correct answers, and print a fresh 30-fact sheet for tomorrow's round.
Why is subtraction slower than addition for my child?: It's normal: subtraction facts have fewer patterns to lean on. Linking each one to its addition partner closes the gap fastest.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core 2.OA.B.2. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated September 2026.

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