Taking Away, Comparing, and "How Many Left" Scenarios
A child can subtract 23 - 17 = 6. But do they know when to subtract? Word problems build the skill of recognizing subtraction situations — from taking away to comparing.
Subtraction appears in two different types of situations: take-away (removing objects) and comparison (finding the difference). Many children learn take-away first and then freeze when comparison problems appear. The language is different — "how many more" does not sound like subtraction. Explicit teaching of both types is essential.
These worksheets build subtraction word problem skills systematically — from take-away with pictures to comparison problems. For students who need computation fluency alongside word problems, see our subtraction practice worksheets.
Three stages — master take-away before comparison
Worksheets show pictures of objects with some crossed out: "Count the apples. 3 are crossed out. How many are left?" The child counts the remaining objects. Spend 3-5 days on this stage.
Worksheets present take-away problems: "Sarah had 8 cookies. She ate 3. How many are left?" The child identifies the starting number and subtracts. Spend 5-7 days on this stage.
Worksheets present comparison problems: "Tom has 8 stickers. Lisa has 5. How many more does Tom have?" The child finds the difference. Spend 5-7 days on this stage before moving to multi-digit subtraction word problems.
Teach the 3-step method — identify the situation first
Read the problem aloud. Have your child restate it. Ask: "Is something being taken away or compared?" Do not look at the numbers yet.
For take-away: find the starting number and the number being removed. For comparison: find the two numbers being compared.
Write the subtraction equation. Solve it. Then ask: "Does this answer make sense?" For comparison, the answer should be the difference between the two numbers.
K-2
"Sarah had 8 cookies. She ate 3. How many are left?" (8 - 3 = 5). The situation is removing objects from a group.
1-3
"Tom has 8 stickers. Lisa has 5. How many more does Tom have?" (8 - 5 = 3). The situation is finding the difference between two groups.
2-4
"Sarah had some cookies. She ate 3 and has 5 left. How many did she start with?" (___ - 3 = 5, so 8). The situation requires working backward.
If your child consistently confuses take-away and comparison problems, the issue may be language processing — not math. Our Number Sense Foundations course (K-2) builds the language and problem-solving strategies that make word problems manageable. You can also browse all available courses and planners on the resources page.
View Number Sense Foundations — $57Practice combining and totaling scenarios
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Sharing equally and grouping scenarios
Two or more operations in sequence
Build computation fluency for word problems
Full 2nd grade math overview
Real questions parents ask about subtraction word problems
Our worksheets cover take-away scenarios ("Sarah had 8 cookies and ate 3"), comparison scenarios ("Tom has 8 stickers, Lisa has 5. How many more does Tom have?"), and missing addend scenarios ("Sarah had some cookies. She ate 3 and has 5 left. How many did she start with?").
Teach your child to look for: "left," "remain," "remaining," "difference," "fewer," "less than," "how many more," "how many less," "take away," "give away," "spent," "used." However, warn your child that keywords are not always reliable — the best strategy is to understand the situation. Have your child restate the problem in their own words before looking for keywords.
Take-away problems: "Sarah had 8 cookies. She ate 3. How many are left?" (8 - 3 = 5). The situation is removing objects. Comparison problems: "Tom has 8 stickers. Lisa has 5. How many more does Tom have?" (8 - 5 = 3). The situation is comparing two groups. Many children learn take-away first and freeze on comparison problems. Teach both types explicitly. Our worksheets include both.
This is the most common keyword confusion. "How many more" means subtraction (find the difference), but children see "more" and think addition. The fix is explicit teaching: "How many more means subtract to find the difference." Write this on an index card. Use comparison language consistently: "Tom has 8, Lisa has 5. The difference is 3. Tom has 3 more." Within 2-3 weeks, most children stop confusing this.
Teach the 3-step method: (1) Read and restate — read the problem aloud and have your child restate it. Ask: "Is something being taken away or compared?" (2) Identify the numbers — find the starting number and the number being subtracted. (3) Write the equation and solve. The key is to identify the situation before looking at the numbers.
5-10 word problems per session is effective. Start with 5 problems and increase as your child builds stamina. Word problems take longer than equations because of the reading and comprehension step. Quality over quantity — it is better to solve 5 problems correctly with full understanding than 15 problems guessed.
Start subtraction word problems as soon as your child can subtract single-digit numbers (typically kindergarten or 1st grade). Start with take-away problems using pictures. Then introduce comparison problems once take-away is solid. Do not wait until subtraction facts are perfect — word problems and computation should develop together.
Answer keys provide only the final answer. This allows students to work through the reasoning independently while giving parents quick verification. If your child gets a word problem wrong, go back to the problem and ask: "Let's read this again. Is something being taken away or compared?" Walking through the reasoning is more valuable than the correct answer.
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