What happens when we take away everything? We end up with zero - nothing left! This is an important subtraction concept for young learners.

The Concept

• Start with some objects
• Take away all of them
• Zero objects remain
• "All gone!" = Zero left

The Pattern

• 3 - 3 = 0 (take away all 3)
• 5 - 5 = 0 (take away all 5)
• Any number minus itself equals zero!

Example 1

• Start: 🍎🍎🍎🍎 (4 apples)
• Take away: All 4 apples
• Left: (nothing - zero apples)

Example 2

• Start: ■■■ (3 blocks)
• Remove: All 3 blocks
• Remaining: (empty - zero blocks)

Eating All

"You have 4 crackers. You eat all 4 crackers. How many crackers are left?"
- Start with 4
- Eat all 4
- Zero left! All gone!

Giving Everything Away

"You have 3 stickers. You give all 3 stickers to your friend. How many stickers do you have now?"
- Start with 3
- Give away all 3
- Zero left!

Everything Leaves

"5 birds are on the fence. All 5 birds fly away. How many birds are on the fence now?"
- Start with 5
- All 5 fly away
- Zero remain!

• All gone
• Nothing left
• Zero left
• None remaining
• All taken away
• Everything is gone
• Empty

Cookie Countdown

Materials: 5 toy cookies or counters
1. Start with 5 cookies
2. "Eat" one at a time
3. Count down: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
4. "Now eat the last one!"
5. "All gone! Zero cookies left!"

Clean Up Game

Materials: Small toys
1. Spread out 4 toys
2. "Let's clean up! Put all the toys away"
3. Remove toys one by one
4. "All put away! Zero toys left out!"

Balloon Pop Story

Materials: Fingers to represent balloons
1. Hold up 3 fingers (3 balloons)
2. "One balloon pops!" (put down 1 finger)
3. "Another pops!" (put down 1 finger)
4. "The last one pops!" (put down last finger)
5. "All gone! Zero balloons!"

Empty Plate

Materials: Plate and small objects
1. Put 4 objects on plate
2. Remove them all
3. Show empty plate
4. "Zero objects on the plate!"

Zero Means None

• When we take away everything, nothing is left
• This is what zero means
• Zero is the answer when all are gone

Different From "Take Away Some"

• Take away some: objects remain
• Take away all: zero remains
• Important distinction!

Still a Valid Answer

• Zero is a real answer
• It's not "nothing" - it means "none"
• Important number in math

Challenge 1: Not Understanding "All"

• Problem: Child doesn't know "all" means every single one
• Solution: Use gestures - sweep all objects away
• Emphasize: "Every one! All of them!"

Challenge 2: Confusion About Zero

• Problem: Child unsure what zero means
• Solution: Show empty hands, empty plate
• "See? Nothing. Zero. None. All gone!"

Challenge 3: Thinking Something's Still There

• Problem: Child says a number instead of zero
• Solution: Count together: "Let's count what's left. Nothing here! Zero!"

Zero is an Answer

• Just like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Zero is a valid result
• It tells us important information

Taking Away Everything

• Any number minus itself = 0
• This pattern works for all numbers
• Foundation for understanding subtraction

Empty Sets

• Sometimes groups are empty
• That's okay and normal
• Zero helps us describe empty groups

This connects to "Zero in Addition":
- 4 - 4 = 0 (take away all)
- 0 + 4 = 4 (start with nothing, add 4)
- Zero works in both addition and subtraction!

"All Gone" Can Be Emotional

• Young children might be sad about "all gone"
• Use positive contexts: "All cleaned up!" "All eaten - yummy!"
• Make it playful, not upsetting

Make It Fun

• Celebratory "all gone!"
• Silly scenarios: "The cookie monster ate all the cookies! Zero left!"
• Game-like activities

• Use dramatic gestures (empty hands, sweeping motion)
• Make "all gone" celebratory and fun
• Show actual empty result (empty plate, empty box)
• Use familiar contexts (eating snacks, cleaning up)
• Connect words: all gone = zero = none = nothing left

• "You drank all your milk. Zero milk left in the cup!"
• "We picked up all the toys. Zero toys left on the floor!"
• "You used all the paper. Zero sheets left!"
• "All the children went home. Zero children here now!"

Can the child:
- Understand what "all" means?
- Remove all objects from a group?
- Recognize that nothing is left?
- Say "zero" when asked how many remain?
- Connect "all gone" with "zero"?
- Understand this in different contexts?

Once children understand "all taken away":
- They understand zero in subtraction
- They can compare to "some taken away"
- They're ready for more complex subtraction
- They understand zero as a real number!

Understanding "all gone = zero" is key to number sense!