Subtraction Word Problems Up to 5

A subtraction word problem up to 5 is a short story about a small group of things, no more than 5, where some of them go away, get eaten, get given away, or leave in some other way. The story asks how many are left. Since kindergarten subtraction stays within 5, every number in the story, the start amount, the amount removed, and the amount left, is 5 or smaller. This makes it easy to check every answer by counting on fingers or with small pictures.

Before working with these stories, it helps to already feel comfortable taking away with objects up to 5, since a word problem is really just that same idea wrapped inside a sentence.

Word problems do not always use the word "subtract." Instead, they use everyday words that mean the same thing. Watch for phrases like:

• "How many are left"
• "flew away," "ran away," "hopped away"
• "ate," "popped," "broke"
• "gave away," "gave to a friend"

Any of these words tell a student that the group is getting smaller, which means the story calls for subtraction, not addition. This is different from subtracting with digits up to 5, which practices the number sentence alone without a story around it, but the goal is the same: start with a number, take some away, and see what is left.

Every subtraction word problem up to 5 can be solved with the same five simple steps.

1. Read the story slowly and picture what is happening.
2. Find the starting number, the total group at the beginning.
3. Find the number that is taken away or removed.
4. Draw the starting group as pictures, then cross out the number taken away.
5. Count what is left. That count is the answer.

Example: birds on a branch

Story: "There are 5 birds sitting on a branch. 2 birds fly away. How many birds are left on the branch?"

Start with 5 birds. Take away the 2 that fly away. The picture below shows the 5 birds, with the 2 that fly away marked with an X, leaving 3 birds still on the branch.

The matching subtraction statement is \( 5 - 2 = 3 \). Once a student can picture the story like this, learning writing a subtraction statement up to 5 becomes the natural next step, turning the picture directly into numbers and symbols.

Story: "Mia has 4 cookies on a plate. She eats 1 cookie. How many cookies are left on the plate?"

Start with 4 cookies. Remove the 1 that gets eaten. That leaves 3 cookies, so the number sentence is \( 4 - 1 = 3 \). The steps for this story are exactly the same as for the bird story: find the start number, find the number removed, and count what remains.

After finding an answer, it is always worth counting the leftover pictures one more time. If the story said 5 birds and 2 flew away, counting the remaining circles should give exactly 3 every time. This quick check also helps students notice mistakes, such as crossing out the wrong number of objects.

Once a story has been turned into pictures and a number sentence, it can also be written as a matching statement with a blank, such as \( 5 - 2 = \) blank, which connects nicely to practice with completing subtraction statements up to 5 after the story has been solved.

It helps to notice the difference between a subtraction story and an addition story. In an addition story, a group grows, such as birds joining a branch. In a subtraction story, a group shrinks, such as birds flying away. Paying attention to whether the group is getting bigger or smaller is the fastest way to decide which operation a story needs, which is especially useful once addition and subtraction stories start appearing mixed together in the same practice set.

Related lessons

• Kindergarten