Subtraction is like counting backwards or like counting what you have left.

1.  If you had 10 fish stickers:

 

 

 

 

If you gave 2 of them to your friend:

You would have 8 stickers left:

 

 

You can figure out how many stickers you have left by counting backwards (first you have 10, then 9, then 8) or by counting the number of stickers you have left.

2.  If you gave your brother 3 fish stickers to do a chore for you:

You would have 5 stickers left:

The math would be:  8 – 3 = 5

3.  If you gave your sister 3 fish stickers to help you with your homework:

You would have 2 stickers left:

The math would be:  5 – 3 = 2

Here is a page that just shows the 10 fish. You can print them and use them to play with subtraction if you want.

Here is a page that just shows the 10 fish outlines so you can color them in. You can print them and use them to play with subtraction if you want.