To find the total, or sum, by combining two or more parts, or to increase an amount by adding another. 

To partition one part from another, or to decrease an amount by taking an amount away. 

Find the missing part of a subtraction story

Maths

In this unit pupils will find missing addends in equations. They will partition a whole into 2 parts representing first, then, now stories with subtraction equations. They will learn + and - are inverse operations. In the future unit pupils will explain that addition is commutative. They will find pairs of numbers to 10 and add or subtract 1 from any number.

In prior learning, pupils will have learnt to count confidently and have developed a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. In this unit pupils will find missing addends. They will partition a whole into two parts and represent it with subtraction equations learning that addition and subtraction are inverse operations.

Additive structures: addition and subtraction

Which tens frame represents the starting amount in this subtraction story?

What amount is missing from this equation? Use the picture to help.

Which equation represents this 'First, then, now' story?

There were some books on a book shelf. 
Then, 4 books fell off. 
Now, there are 6 books on the shelf. 
How many books were on the shelf at the start of the story?

Use the picture to tell the story. Which amount will be at the end of the story?

Look at the picture. If you wrote an equation, which number would represent the sum?

Match each pair of addends to the correct sum.

Use the picture to tell the story and find out how many balls were left at the end of the story.

Listen to story and choose the equation that would represent it.
First, there were 7 birds on the branch. Then, 2 birds flew away. Now there are ___ birds on the branch.

Solve each equation and match to the correct answer.

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Find the missing part of a subtraction story

Lesson outcome

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.