Subtraction Within 10 — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Sam had 8 crayons. He gave 3 to a friend. How many crayons does Sam have now?
A) 4
B) 6
C) 5
D) 3
When Sam hands over crayons, he has fewer. Count back three from 8: 7, 6, 5. He has 5 crayons left.
2. There were 10 birds on a fence. Then 7 flew away. How many birds are still on the fence?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 3
D) 5
10 birds minus 7 birds leaves 3. Picture 10 birds with 7 flying off — only 3 are sitting on the fence.
3. Which number makes this true: 9 - ___ = 4?
A) 3
B) 6
C) 5
D) 4
The gap from 9 back down to 4 is 5 steps. So 5 is the missing number that fills the blank.
4. Mia picked 6 flowers. She put 2 in a vase. How many does she still hold?
A) 3
B) 5
C) 4
D) 2
Mia started with 6 and set 2 down, so she is holding 6 - 2 = 4 flowers in her hands.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. 7 - 5 = 2
Add the 5 back on: 5 + 2 = 7. That tells us the starting number was 7.
2. 10 - 4 = 6
10 and 6 are 4 apart. So 4 is the number that got taken away.
3. 7 - 3 = 4
Rebuild the start by adding: 3 + 4 = 7. The missing starting number is 7.
4. 9 - 6 = 3
Going from 9 down to 3 is a drop of 6. So 6 is what got subtracted.
5. 10 - 1 = 9
Taking just 1 away gives 9, so the number right before it was one more — 10.