Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Subtracting Larger Numbers Worksheet for Year 3 (Free Printable)

  • ForYear 3 (Free Printable)
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
Download free PDF Open and print

Subtracting Larger Numbers is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). It has 18 questions in three steps, plus a challenge question. Children practise taking away with larger numbers, in line with the Year 3 focus on subtracting mentally, including a three digit number and ones, tens and hundreds.

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 on A4. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2, which has every answer, for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Page 1 has 18 numbered questions, grouped into three steps, with space to write each answer. A challenge question comes at the end for children who are ready for more. Children use short, focused questions to practise taking away with larger numbers. They can work in their head, draw, or use counters to help them. Page 2 is for the grown up and has the answers.

A worked example

574 take away 36

This is a different question from the ones children answer. It shows two ways to work it out mentally.

Method 1: count back in parts
  1. Split 36 into 30 and 6.
  2. Take away the 30 first: 574 take away 30 is 544.
  3. Now take away the 6: 544 take away 6 is 538.
Method 2: jump to a round number
  1. Take away 4 to reach 570: 574 take away 4 is 570.
  2. 36 is 4 and 32, so there is 32 still to take away.
  3. 570 take away 32 is 538.
538

Why practise taking away larger numbers?

Subtraction has two main meanings. Taking away means removing an amount from a larger one. Finding the difference means working out how far apart two numbers are. Year 3 children meet both ideas. With larger numbers, place value matters much more. Children need to think about hundreds, tens and ones, rather than counting back one at a time, which is slow and easy to get wrong.

Mental methods come first at this age. Children split numbers into parts, count back in tens, or jump to a round number. These habits build number sense and prepare for written column methods later. A child who understands why one ten can be swapped for ten ones is far less likely to follow steps without thinking. Counters and quick drawings make that idea easy to see.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Subtracting larger numbers
  • Taking away
  • Number facts
  • Place value
  • Checking answers

Ideas that make subtracting easier

  • Subtraction undoes additionAdding and subtracting are opposites. If you take a number away, you can add it back to check you return to where you started.
  • Order mattersTaking a small number from a big one is not the same as taking a big number from a small one. Always start with the number you have.
  • Place value helpsA number is made of hundreds, tens and ones. You can take away each part in turn, which is often easier than one big step.
  • Round numbers are friendlyTaking away a multiple of ten is quicker than taking away an awkward number. Jump to a round number, then deal with what is left.

Key words

  • SubtractTake one number away from another to find what is left.
  • DifferenceHow far apart two numbers are. You find it by subtracting the smaller from the larger.
  • Place valueThe value of a digit depends on where it sits in the number: hundreds, tens or ones.
  • Hundreds, tens and onesThe parts of a three digit number. Each digit tells you how many of that part there are.
  • ExchangeSwap one ten for ten ones, or one hundred for ten tens. The number stays the same value.
  • InverseThe opposite operation. Addition is the inverse of subtraction.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the answers and notes.
  2. Read the first question together. Ask your child how they plan to work it out before they start.
  3. Let them choose a method. Counters, a quick drawing or a number line are all fine. Start with the big number and take some away.
  4. Check against page 2 together. Ask, "How did you work that out?" Explaining the thinking matters as much as the answer.
  5. Come back another day to the questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Use counters. Start with the big number and take some away. Take away the tens first, then the ones, and say each step aloud. Try the first few questions with an adult beside you, then do the next ones on your own.

To stretch confident children

Try the challenge question at the end. Then write three similar questions for a friend to answer. Check each of your questions by adding the answer back on, so you know your friend's sum has the right answer.

Make it a game

Start with a pile of 50 counters. Take turns to roll a dice and take away that many counters. Say how many are left each time. The first player to reach zero exactly wins. Change the pile size to make it harder.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child takes the smaller digit from the larger digit in every column, even when the top digit is smaller.

Try thisUse counters or drawn sticks. Show that the top number cannot give what it does not have, so swap one ten for ten ones first.

Watch forAfter swapping a ten for ones, the child forgets to reduce the tens by one.

Try thisCross out the old tens digit and write the new one clearly. Counters help too, as the ten has really been moved.

Watch forDigits are lined up in the wrong columns, so ones are taken from tens.

Try thisDraw columns and label them H, T and O. Squared paper, one digit per square, keeps everything in line.

Talk about it

  • Which method did you choose, and why did it feel easiest?
  • Is the answer bigger or smaller than the number you started with? Does that make sense?
  • How could you check your answer using addition?
  • Can you split the number you are taking away into easier parts?
  • Which question was trickiest, and what helped you with it?
  • Can you make up a question that has a round number to take away?

Take it off the page

Toy shop

Put price labels on toys, using pence or pounds. Give your child a pretend amount to spend. They work out what is left after buying one toy.

Chalk number line

Draw a long number line on the pavement or floor. Jump back along it in tens and ones to take away. Say each jump aloud.

Bundles of ten

Bundle lolly sticks or straws into tens with elastic bands. Make a number, then take some away. Undo a bundle when you need to swap a ten for ones.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Keep counters nearby. Praise effort and thinking, and ask how they worked each answer out. Short, relaxed sessions work better than long ones.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers make marking quick.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider maths plan. Pair it with practical work such as shop role play or bundles of sticks. The sheet is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.

Where this fits in maths

Before this, children subtract with smaller numbers. They use number facts, count back, and take away from two digit numbers. They also learn that numbers are made of tens and ones, which is the idea that this sheet builds on.

After this, children move towards formal written methods for subtraction, including column subtraction with exchange. Later, they apply the same ideas to larger numbers and to problems that use money and measures.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Subtracting Larger Numbers for?

It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It may also suit confident Year 2 children, or Year 4 children who want some extra practice.

What will children practise?

Children practise subtracting larger numbers with short, focused questions. They use taking away, number facts and place value. The Year 3 focus is subtracting mentally, including a three digit number and ones, tens and hundreds.

Are the answers included?

Yes. Page 2 is for the grown up and has every answer. It also has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.

What if it feels too hard?

Use counters. Start with the big number and take some away. Take away the tens first, then the ones. Do a few questions together, then leave the rest for another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision whenever you need it.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. You only need a pencil, and counters if your child likes to use them.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

Download free PDF