Taking away means starting with some objects and removing some of them. This is how we begin to understand subtraction! When we take away, the amount gets smaller.

The Basic Idea

• Start with a group of objects
• Remove some objects from the group
• The amount decreases
• Count to find how many are left

Simple Example

• Start: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 (5 apples)
• Take away: 🍎🍎 (remove 2 apples)
• Left: 🍎🍎🍎 (3 apples remain)
• Count what's left: 1, 2, 3

Step 1: Start with a Group

• Begin with some objects
• Count them: "I have 5 crackers"
• This is your starting amount

Step 2: Remove Some

• Take some objects away
• Set them aside or pretend they're gone
• Could be eaten, given away, or taken

Step 3: Count What's Left

• Count the objects that remain
• Start from 1
• The last number tells how many are left

Step 4: Notice the Change

• "Before I had 5"
• "I took away 2"
• "Now I have 3 left"
• "I have fewer than before!"

Eating Snacks

• "You have 4 crackers. You eat 1 cracker. How many crackers are left?"
• Start with 4, eat 1, have 3 left

Giving Away

• "You have 5 stickers. You give 2 to your friend. How many stickers do you have left?"
• Start with 5, give away 2, have 3 left

Friends Leaving

• "4 children are playing. 2 go home. How many children are still playing?"
• Start with 4, subtract 2, have 2 left

Things Breaking or Falling

• "You built a tower with 6 blocks. 1 block fell off. How many blocks are in the tower now?"
• Start with 6, lose 1, have 5 left

Action Words for Taking Away

• Take away
• Remove
• Eat
• Give away
• Lose
• Fall off
• Fly away
• Go away
• Use up

Question Words

• How many are left?
• How many remain?
• How many now?
• How many are still there?

Cracker Subtraction

Materials: Small snacks (crackers, grapes)
1. Give child 5 crackers
2. Count together: "You have 5"
3. "Eat 2 crackers"
4. Child eats them (or sets them aside)
5. "How many crackers are left?"
6. Count together

Toy Take-Away

Materials: Toy cars or blocks
1. Start with 4 toys
2. "Let's put 1 toy back in the box"
3. Remove 1 toy
4. "How many toys are out now?"
5. Count remaining toys

Story Acting

Tell stories and act them out:
"5 birds were on the fence. 2 birds flew away. Use these buttons to be birds. Show me what happens. How many birds are left on the fence?"

Give-Away Game

Materials: Small objects (buttons, counters)
1. Child has 6 buttons
2. "Give 2 buttons to me"
3. Child gives them away
4. "How many buttons do you have left?"
5. Count together

Children learn best by physically removing objects:

Cookie Story:
- "You have 4 cookies" (put 4 counters on a plate)
- "You eat 1 cookie" (remove 1 counter)
- "How many cookies are left?" (count remaining: 3)

Balloon Story:
- "You have 5 balloons" (hold up 5 fingers)
- "2 balloons pop!" (put down 2 fingers)
- "How many balloons are left?" (count fingers up: 3)

Jump and Take Away

• Hold up 5 fingers
• "You jumped 5 times. But let's take away 2 jumps."
• Put down 2 fingers
• "How many jumps are left?" Count: 3

Hop and Remove

• "Hop 4 times" (child hops)
• "Now imagine you didn't hop 1 time. Take that away."
• "How many hops did you do?" 3

(Note: This is harder conceptually - stick with concrete objects)

Challenge 1: Counting the Taken-Away Amount

• Problem: Child counts what was removed instead of what's left
• Solution: Move removed objects far away or hide them
• "Count what's still here, not what's gone"

Challenge 2: Not Understanding "Left"

• Problem: Doesn't know what "left" or "remaining" means
• Solution: Use consistent language
• Show physically what stays vs. what goes

Challenge 3: Adding Instead of Subtracting

• Problem: Child counts all objects together
• Solution: Clearly remove objects from sight
• "These are gone. Count only what's still here."

Challenge 4: Emotional Response

• Problem: Child upset about taking things away
• Solution: Use snacks they can eat
• Or explain "We're just pretending!"
• Make it a fun game

Subtraction Makes Things Smaller

• When we take away, we get fewer
• The new amount is smaller than what we started with
• This is the opposite of adding!

Zero is Possible

• If we take away everything, zero are left
• "You had 3 blocks, you took away all 3. Zero are left!"
• Zero means none

Can't Take Away More Than You Have

• "You have 3 crackers. Can you eat 5 crackers?"
• "No! You only have 3!"
• This is an important logical concept

Use Small Numbers

• Start with taking away 1 or 2
• Keep starting amounts under 5
• Gradually increase to starting amounts of 10

Make It Physical

• Actually remove the objects
• Move them away or hide them
• Physical action makes the concept clear

Use Real Consequences

• Eating snacks (real taking away!)
• Giving stickers to friends (real giving away!)
• Real actions make math meaningful

Show the Before and After

• "Before: 5 blocks"
• Remove 2
• "After: 3 blocks"
• "See? Taking away made it smaller!"

Practice Daily

• Find taking-away situations all day
• Meals, cleanup, transitions
• Natural practice is best

Using Things Up

• "You had 4 pieces of paper. You used 2. How many are left?"
• Using is a form of taking away

Sharing and Giving

• "You have 5 toys. You give 1 to your sister. How many do you have left?"
• Giving involves taking away from your amount

Things Leaving

• "5 ducks were swimming. 3 swam away. How many ducks are still here?"
• Leaving is taking away

Taking Away vs. Adding To

They're opposites:
- Adding to: Start with some, get more, have more
- Taking away: Start with some, remove some, have less

Understanding both helps children see relationships.

Foundation for Subtraction Facts

Later, children will know:
- "5 take away 2 is 3"
- Without counting!

But for now, using objects and counting is perfect.

Separate/Remove

• "You have 6 blocks. Take away 2 blocks."
• Physical removal

Comparison (Advanced)

• "You have 5 apples. Your friend has 3 apples. How many more do you have?"
• This is harder - save for later

Part-Whole (Advanced)

• "You have 5 total. 2 are red. How many are not red?"
• This is a different way to think - comes later

Focus on simple removal for Pre-K!

Can the child:
- Tell you how many they start with?
- Show removing objects from the group?
- Count what's left correctly?
- Answer "how many are left?"
- Repeat with different starting amounts?
- Explain what happened?
- Understand that the amount got smaller?

Once children understand taking away:
- They're ready to learn about taking apart (decomposing)
- They can compare adding to and taking away
- They can try with slightly bigger numbers
- They're building a strong foundation for subtraction!

Taking away is the first step in understanding subtraction!