Make efficient use of subtraction strategies including column subtraction

I can make efficient use of subtraction strategies including column subtraction.

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Year 3

Make efficient use of subtraction strategies including column subtraction

I can make efficient use of subtraction strategies including column subtraction.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

A mental strategy may be more efficient than a column method
Look carefully at the numbers in a calculation to decide a method
Column subtraction might be the most efficient method to use if regrouping is needed

Keywords

Efficient - Being efficient means finding a way to solve a problem quickly whilst also maintaining accuracy.
Mental strategy - A mental strategy is a method chosen to find something out which can be done in your head or with some jottings.
Regrouping - The process of unitising and exchanging between place values is known as regrouping.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that column subtraction is always the most efficient strategy where regrouping is needed.

Emphasise calculations where adjustment is the most efficient strategy (e.g. 456 - 199). Regrouping is needed in both the tens and hundreds, but is is not the most efficient strategy.

Pupils will need to be familiar with column subtraction using 3-digit numbers, including regrouping in the tens and ones. They will also need some understanding of mental strategies. You may wish to revisit strategies such as rounding and adjusting or partitioning to subtract before the lesson.