Max Maths, Year 3, Try it, Review of subtraction facts and mental subtraction (1)

In the Max Maths Year 3 curriculum, there is a section dedicated to reinforcing subtraction skills. The 'Let's Try It' exercise is designed to provide students with a review of subtraction facts and to practise mental subtraction. The first part of the exercise, titled 'Subtract', presents four straightforward subtraction problems for the students to solve. These problems are simple enough to encourage mental calculation, enhancing the pupils' ability to quickly and accurately subtract numbers. For example, students are asked to find the difference between single-digit and two-digit numbers, such as 9 minus 6 and 13 minus 5.

The second part of the exercise involves using a number line to subtract by counting backwards, which is a visual and interactive method to understand subtraction. This technique helps students to grasp the concept of subtraction as a process of finding the difference by 'taking away' one quantity from another. The exercise includes two problems where the students start with a greater number and count backwards to find the result of the subtraction. Each problem is accompanied by a number line to aid the students in visualising the subtraction process. For instance, they would subtract 5 from 16 and 6 from 18 by moving backwards on the number line provided, ensuring they develop a strong foundation in basic arithmetic operations.