Mathematics · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Taking Groups Apart (Subtraction Intro)

Active learning works for subtraction because young children build number sense through physical action and visual representation. When students manipulate objects, they connect abstract symbols to concrete experiences, making the 'taking away' process visible and meaningful.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.1
• CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.3

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 20 min · Pairs

Partner Play: Snack Take-Away

Partners start with 6-8 shared snacks like raisins or cubes on a plate. One partner covers some with a cloth to 'eat' them, uncovers, and the other recounts the remainder. Switch roles twice, draw the before-and-after. Discuss total changes.

How is taking away different from putting together?

Facilitation Tip

During Partner Play: Snack Take-Away, circulate to ensure partners take turns removing snacks and recounting what remains.

What to look for

Give each student 5 counters. Ask them to show you 5 counters, then take away 2. On their paper, they should draw what they did and write how many are left.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 25 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Block Drop Story

Each group gets 5-10 blocks and a story card like 'Five birds fly away, two left.' They build the start amount, remove by dropping into a cup, count and record what's left. Rotate stories.

What are different ways we can show a taking-away story with objects?

Facilitation Tip

In Small Groups: Block Drop Story, remind students to act out the story step-by-step before recording the subtraction sentence.

What to look for

Present a story problem: 'There were 4 birds on a branch. 1 bird flew away. How many birds are left?' Ask students to use their fingers or counters to show the story and hold up the number of birds remaining.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Counting Jar Subtract

Display a jar with 8-10 objects visible. Class chorally counts total. Teacher removes some behind screen, reveals new total. Students predict and thumbs-up differences, then try with personal counters.

When we take some objects away, what happens to the total? Is this always true?

Facilitation Tip

For Whole Class: Counting Jar Subtract, model how to count the total objects first, then remove the specified amount while counting aloud.

What to look for

Show a group of 6 blocks. Ask: 'What happens to the number of blocks if I take 2 away? How do you know?' Encourage students to explain their thinking using words like 'take away' and 'left'.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Finger Story Draw

Students use fingers to show numbers 5-10, 'take away' by hiding some under table, draw the story with tallies or dots. Label 'took away 3, 4 left.' Share one with partner.

How is taking away different from putting together?

Facilitation Tip

In Individual: Finger Story Draw, provide sentence stems like 'There were ____. I took away ____. Now there are ____.' to support language development.

What to look for

Give each student 5 counters. Ask them to show you 5 counters, then take away 2. On their paper, they should draw what they did and write how many are left.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach subtraction as an action students perform, not just a symbol they manipulate. Use consistent language—'take away' for removal and 'left' for the remainder—to reinforce the concept. Avoid rushing to abstract symbols; let students master concrete and pictorial representations first. Research shows that early focus on action-based learning prevents later confusion between subtraction and addition.

Students will confidently model subtraction with objects, explain the action in their own words, and accurately state the remaining quantity. They will compare totals before and after removal, using language like 'take away' and 'left' to describe the change.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Partner Play: Snack Take-Away, watch for students who believe the removed snacks no longer exist.

  Have students place the removed snacks in a small cup or under a napkin, then uncover them to recount the original total. Ask, 'Where did the snacks go? Are they still part of our set?' to reinforce conservation.

• During Small Groups: Block Drop Story, students may assume subtraction only works with numbers close to 10.

  Provide story cards with varied starting numbers (e.g., 4, 6, 9). After solving, ask, 'Did the pattern change when we started with a smaller number? How?' to highlight flexibility.

• During Whole Class: Counting Jar Subtract, students may confuse taking away with adding more objects.

  Act out both actions in sequence: first take away objects, then add them back. Ask, 'What happened to the number when we took away? What happened when we added? How are the actions different?'

---

Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object