Subtraction - Grade 1 Math Worksheet 8 - Free Printable

Download this free printable Subtraction worksheet for Grade 1 Math. Perfect for practice, homework, and classroom use.

Grade 1 Math practice

This printable Subtraction worksheet is part of the free WizKidsHub Grade 1 Math collection. Print it at home or in the classroom for extra practice.

What this worksheet teaches

• Use known addition facts to work out related subtraction facts (if 6 + 3 = 9, then 9 − 3 = 6).
• Solve simple story problems where something is lost, eaten, given away or left over.
• Notice that subtraction cannot be reversed the way addition can - 9 − 4 is not 4 − 9.
• Read and complete number sentences with a missing number, such as 8 − ? = 5.

How to use this worksheet

Subtraction is harder than addition for Grade 1 students mainly because counting backwards is harder than counting forwards. Practise counting back from 15 out loud before you start the sheet. Keep ten or twenty small objects on the table so your child can physically remove items for any question that stalls.

Sample questions from this worksheet

1. 14 - 4 = ______
2. 9 - 4 = ______

Frequently asked questions

Should my child count backwards or use addition to subtract?

Either is fine in Grade 1. Counting back suits small differences; 'what plus 3 makes 9?' suits larger ones. Showing both gives your child a choice rather than one fragile method.

Is it a problem that my child writes 4 − 9 instead of 9 − 4?

It is a common early mistake and worth correcting directly: in subtraction the order matters. Modelling it with objects - you cannot take nine buttons from a pile of four - makes the reason obvious.

How far should Grade 1 subtraction go?

Within 20 is the usual Grade 1 expectation, with facts within 10 becoming quick and reliable first. Two-digit subtraction with borrowing belongs to later grades.