Practice Subtraction Within 1,000
Master three-digit subtraction with and without borrowing. Build place value understanding and mental math skills.
By third grade, subtraction moves beyond basic facts into multi-digit work with numbers up to 1,000. The most challenging skill is borrowing across zeros, which requires deep place value understanding. Children who understand place value deeply can handle it; those who only know steps will struggle.
Our subtraction worksheets build understanding systematically. The third grade math hub offers more resources for a complete curriculum.
Build understanding with these proven approaches
For 562-147: Show 5 hundreds, 6 tens, 2 ones. To subtract 7 ones, exchange 1 ten for 10 ones. Then to subtract 4 tens, exchange 1 hundred for 10 tens. This concrete experience makes borrowing make sense.
Instead of subtracting, count up from the smaller number. For 400-137: count 137 to 400. 137 to 140 is 3, 140 to 200 is 60, 200 to 400 is 200. Total = 263. Great for mental math.
Write numbers in expanded form: 562 = 500+60+2, 147 = 100+40+7. Subtract hundreds: 500-100=400. Tens: 60-40=20. Ones: 2-7 can't, borrow: 12-7=5. Total = 400+20+5=425.
Three-digit subtraction without borrowing. Perfect for building place value confidence.
Borrowing in one place (ones or tens). Introduces regrouping systematically.
Borrowing across zeros and multiple places. For end-of-year mastery.
For some children, the gap isn't in practice — it's in the conceptual foundation that makes multiplication and division make sense. If your child can recite the times tables in order but freezes on random facts, or doesn't connect multiplication to equal groups, worksheets alone won't bridge that gap. Our Multiplication & Division Foundations course (grades 3–5) covers the full progression from arrays through fact fluency and into division as the inverse operation. You can also browse all available courses and planners on the resources page.
View Multiplication & Division Foundations — $57Everything you need to know about teaching third grade subtraction
By the end of third grade, students should be able to subtract fluently within 1,000 using place value understanding and the standard algorithm. This includes subtracting three-digit numbers with borrowing across multiple places, mentally subtracting 10, 100, or 1,000 from any number, and solving one- and two-step subtraction word problems.
Subtraction across zeros (like 400 - 137) is one of the hardest third grade skills. The problem is that you need to borrow from a place that has zero, which requires borrowing twice. Use money: show that $4.00 means 4 dollars, but to subtract $1.37 you need to break a dollar into 100 cents. This concrete example helps children see why borrowing across zeros works.
Progression is key. Start with no borrowing (578-234). Then borrowing in ones place only (562-147). Then borrowing in tens place only. Then borrowing across zeros (400-137). Always use place value language and base-ten blocks for children who struggle conceptually.
Subtraction facts are single-digit minus single-digit (13-7=6). Subtraction with borrowing uses those facts within larger problems. If your child doesn't know subtraction facts automatically, borrowing becomes extremely difficult. Master subtraction facts within 20 first, then introduce borrowing.
15-20 focused problems per day is enough. Subtraction is generally harder than addition, so don't expect as many problems. Mix practice types: algorithm practice, mental math, and word problems.
Mastery means your child can: 1) subtract three-digit numbers with borrowing accurately, 2) explain why borrowing works using place value language, 3) subtract 10, 100, or 1,000 mentally, 4) solve one- and two-step subtraction word problems, and 5) recognize when an answer is unreasonable.
Generate custom subtraction worksheets for your third grader. Choose difficulty, problem types, and download clean PDFs with answer keys.
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