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Maths

What Is Left?

Overview

Children take away objects and count what is left.

Learning Objective
Children find how many remain after some are removed.

Resources needed

  • Small objects

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Show a group of objects.
  2. 2 Count them together.
  3. 3 Remove some objects.
  4. 4 Ask: 'How many are left?'
  5. 5 Count remaining objects.
  6. 6 Repeat with different amounts.
  7. 7 Discuss answers.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Use larger numbers
  • Remove different amounts
  • Use stories to give context
More information

Emphasise 'what is left' as a phrase. Connect to real situations (food eaten, children who went home).

Remove objects slowly and visibly so children can track the change.

Can children count the remaining objects accurately? Do they check by counting back from the original total?

Any small objects work. Remove them physically and place them to one side so the subtraction is visible and concrete.

Children sometimes count the removed objects instead of the remaining ones. Make clear which group is 'what is left' by pointing to or circling the remaining objects before asking children to count.

Activity details
Early Years Medium 10–15 minutes No prep Small Group, Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Subtraction