BrightPath
What Was There at the Start?
Name:
Date:
Today I am practising: finding the unknown starting quantity in a take-away story
1
Some birds sat on a fence. Four flew away and 9 stayed. Draw or write the starting number.
2
Complete ___ − 6 = 8. Write an addition equation that helps.
3
A box had some crayons. Five were used and 12 remained. How many were in the box first?
4
Compare ___ − 3 = 10 and 13 − ___ = 10. Which blank asks for the start?
5
Check your answer to ___ − 7 = 11 by substituting it into the subtraction.
6
Make a missing-start story whose answer is at most 20. Show how to check it.
- Have the child name what is known before choosing an operation.
- Physically reunite the removed and remaining groups if the story is difficult.
- Keep the unknown in its original position when recording the equation.