Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Subtracting Pence Worksheet for Year 2 (Free Printable)
- ForYear 2 (Free Printable)
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Subtracting Pence is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. It has 18 questions in three steps and a challenge question. Children take one amount of money away from another, using pence. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up the answers, help ideas and a stretch task.
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 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through 18 numbered questions on subtracting pence. The questions come in three steps, and each one has space to write the answer. Children show that they can take one amount of money away from another. A challenge question at the end gives confident children something extra to think about. Page 2 holds the full answers for the grown-up, so checking is quick. Real coins or play money can help children see each amount.
A worked example
You have 83p. You spend 47p. How much is left?
This is our own example, made up to show two ways children can work. Use it to talk about methods before your child starts the sheet.
Method 1: take away tens, then ones- Split 47p into 40p and 7p.
- Take away the tens first: 83 take away 40 is 43.
- Now take away the ones: 43 take away 7 is 36.
- Start at 47p. Count up to the next ten: 47 to 50 is 3.
- Count up in tens to 80: 50 to 80 is 30.
- Count on to 83: 80 to 83 is 3.
- Add the jumps: 3 and 30 and 3 makes 36.
Ways to build the skill with coins
Count out the amount
Use real coins or play money to make the starting amount. Say the value of each coin as you place it. Children who can count coins confidently find subtracting much easier.
Take coins away
Push the coins you are taking away to one side. Count what is left on the table. This makes the idea of taking away something a child can see and touch.
Count up to compare
Put two amounts side by side and count up from the smaller to the larger. Talk about the gap between them. It shows that subtraction can mean finding a difference.
Check by adding back
Add the answer to the amount you took away. You should get the starting amount again. This is a quick way for children to check their own work.
Why practise subtracting pence?
Money is one of the first places children use maths in real life. In the UK, a pound is worth 100 pence, and coins come in values such as 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p. Year 2 children learn to recognise the pound and pence symbols and to work with amounts of money. Subtracting pence puts that learning to use in everyday situations like shopping.
Subtraction has more than one meaning. It can mean taking an amount away, or it can mean finding the difference between two amounts. Money problems use both ideas. Short, regular practice helps children choose a method that makes sense to them, and helps them check whether an answer is sensible. Using real coins makes each step easier to picture.
Fun facts about UK coins
- The letter p stands for pence, and the £ sign stands for pounds.
- The 20p and 50p coins both have seven sides.
- The pound coin has twelve sides.
- The 1p and 2p coins are copper coloured.
- The Royal Mint makes the coins we use in the UK.
Skills and curriculum link
- Subtracting pence
- Recognising pence and pound symbols
- Money problem solving
- Mental subtraction methods
- Checking answers
Ideas that help with subtraction
- Subtraction undoes additionIf you add an amount and then take it away, you are back where you started. Children can use this to check their answers.
- Tens and onesAmounts of pence can be split into tens and ones. Taking away the tens first, then the ones, is one reliable method.
- Counting upTo find the gap between two amounts, count up from the smaller one. This is often quicker than taking away.
- Coins show the amountReal coins or play money let children see and touch each amount. Sorting coins into groups of ten pence can help.
Key words
- PenceThe small units of money in the UK. We write them with a p, like 20p.
- PoundA larger unit of money. One pound is worth 100 pence.
- SubtractTake one amount away from another.
- DifferenceHow far apart two amounts are. You can find it by counting up from the smaller amount.
- LeftThe amount that remains after you take some away.
- TotalThe whole amount you start with, or the answer when you add.
How to use it
- Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Put out real coins or play money. Use them to count out each amount as your child reads the question.
- Work through the first questions together. Ask your child to explain each choice they make.
- Check the answers using page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to the sheet on another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Lay out real coins or play money to show the starting amount. Take away the amount being subtracted, tens first, then ones. Count what is left and say it aloud. Start with the first few questions and come back to the rest on another day.
To stretch confident children
Try the challenge question at the end. Then write three similar questions of your own for a friend to answer. Work out the answers yourself first, so you can check your friend's work. Try using a different pair of amounts each time.
Make it a game
Play shop. Make small price labels and use real or play coins. One player is the shopper with a set amount. The other is the shopkeeper. The shopper picks an item and both say how much is left. Swap roles each turn.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child subtracts the smaller digit from the larger in each column. With 52p take away 18p they write 46p.
Try thisUse coins. Show that 18p cannot be taken from 2p, so a ten must be split into ten ones. Then take away tens and ones in turn.
Watch forA child adds the two amounts instead of subtracting.
Try thisRead the question aloud together. Ask, "Is some money going away, or are we getting more?" Act it out with coins.
Watch forA child writes the right number but forgets the p.
Try thisRemind them that the answer is an amount of money. Ask them to say "pence" aloud and write the p every time.
Talk about it
- How could you use coins to show this amount?
- Do you take away the tens first or the ones first? Why?
- Can you count up instead of taking away?
- How can you check your answer is right?
- Which question was the trickiest? What helped?
- When might you use this at the shops?
Take it off the page
Coin shop
Set up a small shop with toys or tins and price labels in pence. Give your child some coins. They pay and say how much money they have left.
Pocket money jar
Count out coins into a jar and write the amount. Take some coins out and write how much is left. Check by counting the coins again.
Price tag draw
Write amounts on pieces of paper and put them in a bag. Pick two and find the difference by counting up from the smaller to the larger.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Keep real coins to hand and praise careful thinking. If they get stuck, ask them to count out the amount with coins.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or homework after teaching money and subtraction. The three steps and the challenge question suit mixed ability groups. Page 2 gives answers and support and stretch ideas.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with real shopping trips and pocket money talk. Print again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children learn to recognise coins, say their values and count amounts of money. They also build confidence with subtraction in general, taking away from numbers within 20 and then within 100. Both skills support this sheet.
After this, children move on to solving longer money problems, including finding change and working with pounds and pence together. In Key Stage 2 they use these ideas with larger amounts and with decimal notation for money.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Subtracting Pence for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children in Year 1 who are confident with money may enjoy it too, and older children can use it for revision.
- What will children practise?
They practise subtracting amounts of money in pence. The sheet has 18 questions in three steps and a challenge question. It supports Year 2 work on recognising and using pound and pence symbols and solving money problems.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages on A4. Give page 1 to the child and keep page 2, which has every answer. Use real coins or play money to count out each amount, and work through the first questions together.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use real coins or play money to show each amount and take coins away one group at a time. Try just the first few questions, then return to the rest on another day. Short sessions work well.
- 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.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Real coins make it a hands on activity too.
- How long does it take?
There is no set time. Let your child work at their own pace and stop for a break if they get tired. Page 2 has ideas to make the sheet easier or to stretch confident children.
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.