Best 5 Tips for Subtracting with Regrouping

When I first started teaching 3rd grade, I remembered my very least favorite part of math. Adding and subtracting. No, it’s not adding and subtracting decimals, nor is it adding and subtracting fractions. It’s actually not even the adding part. Drumroll…….. Subtracting with regrouping is the absolute worst part of teaching math.

I hate it.

So much.

Rather than wallow in self-pity and try to speed through subtracting with regrouping as fast as I possibly could, I decided to embrace it.

I set out to find activities, strategies, math posters, ANYTHING, that would make teaching subtracting with regrouping more fun and less painful.

My research skills were put to the test with this one, I mean I don’t think anyone likes subtraction with regrouping. But, I did find some tried and true activities and games for subtraction that engaged my students during math learning centers. So I’m calling that a win.

Speaking for math stations, want to know how I have them set up in my classroom? Grab this 5-part video series for FREE where I discuss the who, what, when, where, why, and how of math stations.  Watch on your own time, whenever you want to switch up your math block and transform it from frustrating to fun! Just drop your email below and gain access to all 5 videos in this series. 

Teaching Tips for Subtracting with Regrouping

This is one of those skills that starts young, like kindergarten, and builds and builds all the way up to 5th and 6th grade adding and subtracting decimals standards. The bulk of the teaching for this skill starts early which makes it difficult to fill gaps once a student is in upper elementary. 

However, don’t let that discourage you! 

Students do need this skill, especially for decimals, so stick with it.

Start with the Basics

Because subtracting with regrouping really starts in the younger grades, start with the basics. Pull out the base ten blocks and build some problems. Practice exchanging ten rods for ones pieces. Watch students solve problems with the blocks to see what misconceptions they perform. Base ten blocks make errors more obvious than just looking at the paper.

Move from Concrete to Abstract

After the basics, I move into showing the same problem with the algorithm. When we regrouped, what does that look like on paper? Showing step-by-step on the whiteboard as students build is another helpful strategy. 

I use place value mats to help students show their work on paper as they build with base ten blocks. I have been guilty of skipping this step, or not spending enough time on the base ten blocks to paper transition. Some students will pick up on this quickly, others will need time to really dig in deep during this step.

This is a great place to start with small group instruction during math stations. I like watching students solve with manipulatives and then transition them to paper when they are ready. The back and forth between the model and the algorithm is helpful for building connections between each.

Differences between place values

This is a misconception that I struggled to see during my first few years of teaching subtraction with regrouping. I thought that students just weren’t lining up the problem. However, some students didn’t realize that 156 for example needed a hundred pieces whereas 82 didn’t. This is a skill that needs regular practice in building numbers with the base ten blocks.

Lining up Place Values

Sometimes, all students need to be successful is a sheet of grid paper. Helping students keep their work lined up while solving not only keeps them organized but you as the teacher can see mistakes easier. 

I also use place value mats to help students keep their work lined up while solving. I simply laminate the mats and let students use dry-erase markers on them. Who knew that using dry-erase markers automatically makes math more engaging?

Regular Practice of Subtracting with Regrouping

I like to revisit subtracting with regrouping every few weeks, even in my 6th grade classroom. Solving in little bit size chunks is a nice way to ease into tackling subtraction. This can be as simple as a warm-up question or morning work.

I like to use my 5th grade morning work pages as a daily practice. These number of the day pages include subtracting with regrouping so that students can have some practice without an overwhelming amount of subtraction.  

Activities for Subtracting with Regrouping

Sometimes, those monthly revisits aren’t enough and so teaching an entire unit on the addition and subtraction algorithm is necessary. When students start to learn the algorithm in the 3rd and 4th grades, practice is key. But what does that practice look like?

These activities mentioned in this post are perfect to add to your unit plan or sprinkle throughout the school year. I have used all of these activities in my upper elementary classroom so I know that they are tried and true and engaging for 3rd graders all the way to 6th graders!

Worksheet subtraction with regrouping

This worksheet for subtraction with regrouping is a great option for turning it into a math poster. I love using anchor charts to teach math, so much so that I have an entire blog post dedicated to ideas for math posters. 

This anchor chart pack has cute (and helpful!) strategies to show subtracting with regrouping. I will usually make one poster to hang on the wall and then give my students the same one to put into their math interactive notebook. That way, students can refer to their own notebook chart, even if my large one is no longer on the wall.

You can grab this worksheet subtraction with regrouping anchor chart here.

Games for subtraction

This is one of my all-time favorite ideas for math station rotations! I love giving my students time to practice math with a partner but it’s even better when it’s a game!

When I look for math games, I make sure they have a couple of components. 

1. First, I want the game to have simple rules. I don’t want students spending forever trying to learn how to play a game. 
2. Second, I want the games for subtraction to be self checking. That way students can learn to find their own errors and aren’t practicing the math incorrectly. 
3. Third, I want the game to be low prep for me. I don’t have time to laminate, cut, sort, create, a bunch of math games. I need print and play options that are easy to switch out. 
4. Fourth, I want my students to have fun!

My Tic Tac Toe games for subtraction do all that! I love how easy it is to prep and with simple rules, my students can stay focused on the math. They can also check their answers with their partner all while playing a game!

Subtraction games with regrouping

More subtraction games with regrouping coming right up! Another favorite in my classroom is Double Dice. Students are creating their own math problems using dice so there’s a bit of strategy (and place value knowledge) that comes into play with this game. Students roll dice to create a problem then they solve it. If their answer is higher then they win that round. The player with the most wins in a game wins overall.

I love that this game is one I can leave out for a few weeks because students have endless combinations to play with. And it’s low-prep. Just slip in a page protector, use some dry-erase markers, and play!

You can grab the dice games for kids here.

Subtraction worksheets with borrowing

Sometimes you just need subtraction worksheets with borrowing. This algorithm remediation pack is perfect for that. It’s differentiated to have different levels of subtraction problems so you can find the ones that your students need. 

I use this pack for my small group instruction during math station rotations. I ability group my students based on exit tickets and then work with students on their specific misconceptions. Exit tickets are included in this subtraction worksheets with borrowing bundle so you don’t have any more work to do! You can grab the subtract pack here.

Subtraction games interactive

I use task cards like every other teacher, but I also turn them into an interactive game. I share a bunch of ideas over in my how to use task cards blog post which you can find here.

Another way to use task cards is to make them into a scavenger hunt. This set has different problems with an answer at the top. Students solve the problem and then find their answer on a different card. Students are moving around in different orders and checking their answers! If they don’t see their answer on a card, then they need to check their work.

More subtracting with regrouping activities

Looking for more subtracting with regrouping activities? These blog posts have a bunch of different ideas that are perfect for math stations, partner games, subtraction worksheets with regrouping and so much more.

• 12 Exciting Subtraction Activites for Engaging Learning
• 23 Fun Subtraction Activities Kids and Teachers Will Love
• 7 Engaging Subtraction Activities
• Addition and Subtraction Activities for Kids: FUNdamental Methods
• 18 Super Subtraction Activities

I’d love to hear from you! What are your go-to subtracting with regrouping activities? Drop them in the comments below!