L4 – WWW – Y1 Subtraction Problems

Working Without Worksheets – Year 1 Lesson 4: Subtraction Problems within 10 Support your pupils in developing subtraction fluency with this Working Without Worksheets lesson for Year 1 Addition and Subtraction. Instead of worksheets, this lesson uses counters, pictorials, and number lines to help children solve subtraction problems within 10, with all work recorded directly in their maths books. The lesson begins with a starter recap, revisiting number bonds to 10 and related subtraction facts. Pupils are introduced to simple word problems such as “Amir had 8 apples. He gave 3 away. How many does he have left?”. Children use counters and drawings to model the problem before representing it as a number sentence and on a number line. Independent tasks encourage pupils to read word problems, underline key information, and solve them systematically in their books. The plenary asks pupils to explain different subtraction strategies and share which method they found most efficient. What’s Included in the Pack? ✔ Full teacher planning with objectives, key questions, and plenary guidance ✔ Starter: recall number bonds to 10 and subtraction facts ✔ Vocabulary focus: subtract, take away, difference, fewer, less, equal to ✔ Practical tasks: model subtraction problems with counters and drawings ✔ Modelled task: represent subtraction on a number line ✔ Independent activity: solve word problems, underline key details, and record in maths books ✔ Plenary: compare strategies and discuss efficient methods ✔ No worksheets—children record directly in their books Why Teachers Love This Resource: ✔ Builds fluency with subtraction through practical and pictorial tasks ✔ Encourages reasoning with real-life word problems ✔ Reinforces number bonds and related subtraction facts within 10 ✔ Worksheet-free: promotes independence and accountability ✔ Saves preparation time with ready-to-use planning and slides Curriculum Links (Year 1: Addition and Subtraction): This lesson supports pupils