Missing Addend for Subtraction

Subtraction can usually be grouped into 3 categories:

1. take away
2. missing addend
3. difference

We've just created a pack of 5 activities to help you explore the 'missing addend' aspect of subtraction. It will help build an awareness of the connection between addition and subtraction. This growing awareness provides a platform for an array of powerful strategies to utilize in later years when our little learners encounter harder mental math.

This is Pack 34 in our series of sequenced math activity packs, Math Pack 30 reviewed 'take away' subtraction.

This collection is fast to prep and will help students learning to:

• explore missing addends, 
• find missing addends, 
• link missing addends to subtraction, 
• explore part-part-whole, 
• find missing subtrahends and 
• interpret word subtraction stories and model with equipment

Each of the 5 small-group activities has:

• detailed instructions
• playing cards/boards/templates
• a worksheet (either a recording worksheet or a fun-follow-up)
• a cover page to help you organize your resources for future reference

The activities included in this bundle are:

Addend Hair

Students will draw more hair on each kid to show the missing addend. They look at the total needed, count the known quantity and work out the missing addend. Talk to your little ones about what is known, unknown and the total.

Addend House

In this activity, students will again identify the missing addend by looking at a known quantity and total and draw the missing number in the house. Talk about the part-part-whole relationship.

Missing Part

This activity is great for tactile learners as they will be able to 'feel' and 'handle' the number and its shape and missing part will help them understand, kinaesthetically, the missing addend concept. Students will identify the missing addend by comparing a known quantity and total by lining up two shapes and identifying the missing section.

Solve It

Students will draw on the visual nature of the previous strategies to identify the missing subtrahends in the subtraction problems in this algorithm based activity..

Subtraction Bus

Your learners can begin to apply their skills to word problems using math bears and problem cards in this activity.  

These activities can be used in a structured game rotation program, as math centers or in guided math. Once taught, they also make fantastic 'fast-finisher' activities for revision of key concepts. Hop over to our TpT store if you'd like these fun and engaging activities for your learning program!