Subtraction word problems worksheets
Read the story and find the question. If something goes away, or two amounts get compared, subtract.
Two grades, each its own sheet. Print one here, or open a grade for examples and teaching notes.
Print by grade
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1st grade Core grade
Subtraction word problems for grade 1 tell a short story where a group gets smaller: ducks fly off, or a few cookies get eaten. The take from type leads, with simple 'how many more' comparisons mixed in, and every number stays within 20, the range 1.OA.A.1 asks for. You might know them as story problems. The name changes, the skill doesn't.
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2nd grade
In second grade the stories move to two-digit numbers, so subtraction word problems start to need regrouping. One step per problem, per 2.OA.A.1: your child decides whether the story is a take away or a compare, writes the equation, and borrows a ten when the ones come up short.
More on addition & subtraction stories
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