What Is Subtraction?
What Is Subtraction?
Owlo! Owlo! Something really sad happened at lunch today.
Oh my, that does sound serious. Come in, Koko, and tell me all about it.
I had five strawberries in my lunchbox. Five! And then Benny asked for some, so I gave him two.
That was very kind of you, Koko. Sharing is a wonderful thing to do.
I know, but then I only had three left. Where did the other two go? They just disappeared!
They did not disappear, Koko. What you just described has a special name in math. It is called subtraction.
Sub... trac... tion? That is a very long word for strawberries disappearing.
It does sound fancy, but the idea is simple. Subtraction means taking away from a group to find out how many are left.
So when I gave Benny two strawberries, I was doing subtraction without even knowing it?
Exactly right! You started with five, you took away two, and three were left. That is subtraction in real life.
Whoa. I am basically a math genius and I did not even know it.
You really are, Koko. Now, let me show you something fun. Follow me to the art room.
Here we go. I have ten big red buttons on this table. Can you count them with me?
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Yes, there are ten buttons!
Perfect. Now, I am going to put three buttons into this little box. Watch carefully.
Okay, you put three away. Now there are... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven buttons left!
Wonderful! You just did subtraction. Ten take away three equals seven.
Oh, I get it now. Subtraction is like buttons going on a little trip inside the box.
That is a very creative way to think about it, Koko. I love that.
Owlo, can I try? Can I be the one to take buttons away?
Of course. Here are seven buttons. You take away four, and we will count what is left.
Okay, taking away one, two, three, four. Now let me count what is left. One, two, three. Three buttons!
Seven take away four equals three. You got it perfectly, Koko.
This is actually really fun. It is like the buttons are playing hide and seek.
I love that idea. And here is something important to remember. Subtraction always starts with a bigger number.
Oh, because you cannot take away more than what you already have. Like, I cannot give Benny six strawberries if I only have five.
That is exactly right. You cannot take away more than what is there. That is a very smart observation.
I feel like I should have paid more attention to my strawberries at lunch.
Well, now you have a new way to think about it. Every time something is shared or used up, subtraction is happening.
So subtraction is everywhere! In my lunchbox, on this table, probably in the garden too.
Absolutely everywhere. You will start noticing it all the time now, I promise.
Okay Owlo, before I go, can I tell you everything I learned today? I want to make sure I really got it.
I was just about to ask you that. Go ahead, Koko, the floor is yours.
Okay! So, subtraction means taking away from a group to see how many are left. It happens in real life all the time, like sharing strawberries or hiding buttons in a box. You always start with a bigger number, and you cannot take away more than what you have. And also, I was doing math at lunch without even knowing it, which is pretty impressive if you ask me.
That is a perfect summary, Koko. Next time, maybe we can explore what happens when we put numbers back together again.
Oh, is that a different kind of math? I am already curious. See you next time, Owlo!
What Is Subtraction?
Ages 4–5 · ~4 min
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore subtraction through a fun story about sharing strawberries! Kids will learn math in an engaging way.
What you'll learn
- Understand the concept of subtraction
- Recognize subtraction in everyday situations
- Learn the vocabulary related to subtraction
What Is Subtraction?
Ages 4–5 · ~4 min
