Beginning to Take Away - PowerPoint

The concept of subtraction is introduced to early years students as 'Beginning to Take Away', where they learn the basics of taking one number away from another to result in a smaller number. The teaching materials guide children through understanding what 'taking away' means, using illustrative examples such as subtracting one frog from a group, leaving a smaller number of frogs. This is further explained through subtraction sentences, such as '3 – 1 = 2', where the subtraction sign indicates the action of taking away. The resources visually represent these concepts to make the learning experience engaging and accessible for young learners.

Building on this foundation, the educational resources provide a series of worksheets and exercises where students can practice their newfound skills. They are encouraged to start with the first number in a subtraction sentence, remove the amount of the second number, and determine what remains. For instance, in the exercise '5 – 2 = 3', students would physically take away two objects from a group of five to see three left. The worksheets prompt learners to solve similar problems, reinforcing their understanding of the subtraction process. These activities are designed to help students become comfortable with basic subtraction, laying the groundwork for more complex mathematical concepts in the future.