Kindergarten Cross Out Subtraction Worksheet: Cats, Noodles and Bowls

Give a child seven toy cars and ask them to take away two, and they will usually push two aside, then count the rest. This kindergarten cross out subtraction worksheet does the same on paper. Six boxes show noodle bowls with chopsticks, striped cats and brown bowls with spoons, and under each picture sits a subtraction, such as 7 - 2 or 10 - 4. The child crosses out the pictures taken away and writes what is left, and since numbers go up to 10, careful counting matters. The PDF has two pages: the worksheet and its answer key.

Why crossing out makes subtraction visible

For a young child, subtraction is a story: some things were here, some went away, and the question is how many stayed. The pictures on this page let that story happen on paper.

Crossing out is the key move. It keeps the removed pictures in sight, so the child can still check the starting number. That matters, because the whole, the part removed and the part left all stay on the page together.

The page also mixes layouts. For example, the ten cats sit in two rows, while the noodle bowls stand in one long line. So the child learns to count what is left in any arrangement. Same idea, new shapes.

At the table: ten cats and four to cross out

Start with the noodle bowls. Ask, "Seven bowls. Two are eaten. Which two will you cross?" Let your child choose, then count the bowls left.

The ten cats are the real test, because a child may cross out four cats, then count all ten again and write 10. Instead of correcting, say, "Put your finger only on the cats without a line. Count those." Tapping each one keeps the count honest.

In the last box, eight bowls sit in two rows, and some children cross out three, then lose track of which are done. Suggest crossing from the end, one bowl at a time, while saying the numbers out loud.

After the page: ducks, spoons and a snack bowl

Subtraction makes sense in the kitchen. Set out six spoons, take two back to the drawer, and ask, "How many on the table now?" At lunch, put five crackers in a bowl, eat two together, then count again.

Also, the song "Five Little Ducks" sends ducks over the hills, and fewer come back each time. Hold up five fingers and fold one down with every verse. It is take away with pictures, sung instead of drawn.

These moments make subtraction to 10 part of the day. Finally, check the page with the answer key together and praise the method: "You crossed out each one, then counted the rest. That is clear thinking."