Subtraction Basics
Subtraction is taking some away from a whole and finding how many are left. If you have 7 cookies and eat 3, then 4 remain; we write it with the minus sign: 7 − 3 = 4. If you know 3 + 4 = 7, you also know 7 − 4 = 3, so addition and subtraction are partners. Slide the cookies and how many are eaten, then move left along the number line to count what stays.