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Fact Families: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fact Families is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children take three numbers and write four related sums from them, two additions and two subtractions. They fill in a table, and in doing so see how adding and taking away are linked. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work along a table. Each row gives three numbers that belong together, and children use them to write four facts. They use the plus sign for the addition facts and the minus sign for the subtraction facts. The rule to remember is that the biggest number is always the total. Children are not just finding answers. They are spotting how the numbers fit together.
- Numbers
- +
- -
Worked example: one fact family
Make four sums from the numbers 4, 5 and 9.
This example uses a different set of numbers to show how to think about a fact family.
Method 1: find the total first- Look at the three numbers. The biggest is 9, so 9 is the total.
- Write the two additions: 4 + 5 = 9 and 5 + 4 = 9.
- Start from the total for the subtractions: 9 minus 4 = 5 and 9 minus 5 = 4.
- Put 4 counters in one group and 5 in another. Push them together and count 9.
- Say the additions, then swap the groups round and say the second one.
- Take the 4 counters away from the 9 and count what is left. Then take the 5 away instead.
Ways to build the idea before and during the sheet
Counters in a row
Line up counters in two colours. Say the addition. Then cover one colour and say the subtraction. Children see that the same counters tell both stories.
Three number cards
Write each number of a family on its own card. Put the biggest card at the top and the other two below. Children can point to the total and say all four facts.
Draw a part and whole picture
Draw one big circle for the total and two smaller circles beneath it for the parts. Fill in the circles and read the facts from the picture.
Say it in a sentence
Ask children to say each fact in words, such as 'the two parts make the whole' or 'the whole take away one part leaves the other part'.
Why fact families matter
A fact family is a set of facts that use the same three numbers. Two of them are additions and two are subtractions. The two parts can be added in either order and the total stays the same. The subtraction facts start from the total. Seeing all four together shows children that these facts belong to one idea, not four separate things to learn.
Addition and subtraction are inverse operations, which means one undoes the other. If you know the parts make a total, you can use that to work out a missing part. This helps with recall, with checking answers and later with missing number problems. Children who notice the link often find subtraction much less scary.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding within the number range of the sheet
- Subtracting
- Seeing number links
- Inverse operations
- Reasoning about numbers
- Writing number sentences
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Addition and subtraction | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can write four facts from three numbers.
- I can see how addition and subtraction link.
- I can use one fact to help me find another.
Ideas that help the grown up
- The total is the biggestIn a fact family of whole numbers, the total is the biggest number. Every subtraction fact starts from it.
- Addition can swap roundTwo parts can be added in either order and give the same total. This is why there are two addition facts.
- Subtraction cannot swapTaking a small number away from a big one is not the same as the other way round. Counters make this easy to see.
- One fact helps anotherAddition and subtraction undo each other. Knowing one fact in a family can help children work out the others.
Key words
- Fact familyA set of addition and subtraction facts that use the same three numbers.
- TotalThe whole amount when two parts are put together. It is the biggest number in the family.
- PartOne of the two smaller numbers that join to make the total.
- AddPut two amounts together to find the total.
- SubtractTake one amount away from another to find what is left.
- InverseThe opposite operation. Subtracting undoes adding.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Look at the first row together. Find the biggest number and say, 'This is the total.'
- Let your child write the four sums for the row. Ask them to say each one out loud as they write.
- Check against page 2. Ask, 'How did you know which sum to write?' Listen to the thinking as well as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the rows that felt tricky again. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use counters to show the three numbers in a row. Make two groups, push them together to find the total, then take one group away. Do the first row together and say each fact aloud. Let your child finish the next row on their own.
To stretch confident children
Invent your own fact family and ask a friend to write the four sums. Then swap and try theirs. Challenge each other to make families with larger numbers, and check each answer using the other facts.
Make it a game
Race a partner to finish a row. Both of you write the four sums for the same row, then check each other's work. A point goes to the first correct finisher. Accuracy matters more than speed, so check before you score.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes only two facts, because the swapped addition seems like the same fact.
Try thisShow two groups of counters swapped round. Explain that both orders are facts and both go in the table.
Watch forA child starts a subtraction with a smaller number, so the sum does not work.
Try thisRemind them the biggest number is the total. Subtractions always start from the total.
Watch forA child picks the wrong number as the total and the facts do not make sense.
Try thisAsk them to find the biggest number first. Check each sum with counters to see if it works.
Talk about it
- How do you know which number is the total?
- Can you say the four facts out loud for one row?
- What do you notice when you swap the two parts in an addition?
- Why can you not start a subtraction with the smaller number?
- How does one fact help you find another?
- Can you make up a fact family for a friend to solve?
Take it off the page
Counters and cups
Put counters in two cups. Count the total, then take one cup away and say what is left. Say all four facts for the family.
Fact family houses
Draw a house with the total in the roof and the two parts in the rooms below. Write the four facts on the walls.
Dice families
Roll two dice. Add them to find the total. Write the four facts using the two dice numbers and the total.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first row, then let them take the lead. Keep it relaxed. If they get stuck, bring out counters and let them show you the numbers rather than telling you.
Teachers
Use it as a starter or plenary after teaching addition and subtraction links, or as an early finisher task. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups. No preparation beyond printing.
Home educators
Pair it with everyday maths, such as sharing snacks or counting toys into groups. Ask your child to say the four facts out loud. It can be repeated for brothers and sisters or used again for revision later.
Where this fits in children's learning
Before this sheet, children learn to count, add small amounts and take amounts away using objects and pictures. They also begin to see numbers as made of parts. That earlier work gives them the picture of two groups making one total.
After this sheet, children use the same link to find missing numbers, check their work by using the inverse and tackle larger numbers. Fact families also help later work on multiplication and division, which have a similar relationship.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What four facts can you make with 3, 7 and 10?
- How does knowing 3 plus 7 help with 10 take away 7?
- Why do these numbers belong together?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fact Families for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children who are a little younger may enjoy it with counters and support, and older children can use it as revision.
- What will children practise?
Children practise writing four related facts from three numbers. They use addition and subtraction and see how the two link. It also builds number reasoning, because children must decide which number is the total.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Work along each row and remember that the biggest number is always the total. Check against page 2 and talk about the thinking.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use counters to show the three numbers in a row. Make two groups, push them together for the total, then take one group away. Do the first row together and let your child try the next on their own.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and it needs only paper and a pencil.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. It works well for quiet time, rainy days, school holidays or a calm moment before bed.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or within a wider plan. It supports the addition and subtraction strand of the Year 2 National Curriculum.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.