Help your class secure their understanding of subtraction methods old and new with this great ‘Solving Subtraction’ Maths lessons for Year 3. Your children will refine their mental subtraction skills, as well as exploring how to use number lines, the decomposition method and formal column subtraction to solve subtraction calculations, including those requiring exchanging.

With lesson plans, engaging slides, differentiated activities and a range of handy worksheets, games and other printables, these KS2 ‘Solving Subtraction’ lessons contain everything you need to help your class gain a more solid understanding of a range of subtraction methods.

Number Lines

The first lesson in this series starts by challenging your class to answer some quick-fire mental subtraction questions before going on to look at how number lines can be used to help solve subtraction problems that are too tricky to solve mentally.

View Lesson 1

Decomposition

This lesson takes a look at the decomposition method for solving subtraction problems with up to three digits. Once they have got the mechanics of the methods sorted, they will then go on to look at how and why exchanging is used in certain subtraction calculations, using diagrams and apparatus to help them.

View Lesson 2

Introducing Column Subtraction

This lesson starts by comparing the decomposition and column methods, identifying ways in which the two methods are similar and different. Children will then learn how to set out and use the column method to solve subtraction calculations that don’t involve exchanging. They will soon be able to solve some five- and even six-digit calculations!

View Lesson 3

Column Exchanging

Now that your class are able to solve column subtraction calculations, they will look at some examples that require exchanging. Diagrams are used throughout the slides to help children visualise the process, giving them the understanding they will need to solve column subtraction problems with between two and four digits.

View Lesson 4

Word Problems

The final lesson in this series allows your class to consolidate their understanding of subtraction methods by giving them a variety of subtraction problems to solve. They start by recapping all the methods they have used throughout the week, thinking about which they find easiest and most efficient. They will then be challenged to solve a variety of word problems, putting their new subtraction skills to the test!

View Lesson 5