Taking Away One Up to 5

"Taking away one" is one of the very first ideas of subtraction that young learners meet. It simply means starting with a small group of objects, up to 5 of them, and removing exactly one object from that group. Whatever is left over is the answer.

For example, if there are 4 apples on a plate and someone eats 1 apple, there are now 3 apples left. In math language, we can write this as \( 4 - 1 = 3 \). The child does not need to know the word "subtraction" yet. What matters most is understanding the action: a group gets smaller by one when one thing is taken away.

Before writing any number sentences, it helps to see the idea with real objects or pictures. Counting the group first is an important step, so this lesson builds on skills like counting objects using numbers up to 3. Once a child can count a group correctly, taking one away becomes much easier to picture.

Look at the picture below. There are 5 dots. One dot is crossed out to show it has been taken away, leaving 4 dots.

Fingers work the same way. Hold up 3 fingers, then put one finger down. There are now 2 fingers standing, so \( 3 - 1 = 2 \). Physical counters, cubes, or small toys can be used the exact same way for any number up to 5.

Here is a simple routine to follow every time:

1. Count how many objects are in the starting group.
2. Take one object away and set it aside.
3. Count how many objects are left in the group.
4. Say or write the number sentence, such as \( 2 - 1 = 1 \).

Notice that the answer is always exactly one less than the number you started with. This pattern is a helpful shortcut: \( 5 - 1 = 4 \), \( 4 - 1 = 3 \), \( 3 - 1 = 2 \), \( 2 - 1 = 1 \), and \( 1 - 1 = 0 \).

Try working through these with real objects or by drawing pictures:

• There are 5 balloons. One balloon pops. How many balloons are left? \( 5 - 1 = 4 \)
• There are 3 birds on a branch. One bird flies away. How many birds are left? \( 3 - 1 = 2 \)
• There are 2 cookies on a plate. One cookie is eaten. How many cookies are left? \( 2 - 1 = 1 \)

After counting out loud and moving objects, learners can practice writing the matching numbers. This connects nicely with tracing and writing a number up to 3, since every take away one problem ends with writing down how many are left.

It is useful to notice that taking away one is the opposite of adding one. When a group grows by one, it gets bigger; when one is taken away, it gets smaller. Comparing this lesson with adding one up to 5 helps learners see how the same starting group can either grow or shrink depending on the action taken.

Taking away one from small groups builds the foundation for all later subtraction work. Once a child is comfortable seeing a group shrink by one, they are ready to take away larger amounts, subtract with bigger numbers, and eventually solve subtraction problems without needing pictures at all. Strong counting and one-to-one matching skills make this transition smooth and confident.

Related lessons

• Kindergarten