Subtracting within 20: Word Problems
Grade 1 · Subtraction within 20 · CCSS.Math.1.OA
- 13 − 2 = ___
- 9 − 1 = ___
- 9 − 6 = ___
- 4 − 1 = ___
- 5 − 1 = ___
- 6 − 4 = ___
This is the preview. Hit "Print this worksheet" above to open a clean, ad-free, one-page version with name and date lines and writing space for each problem. A separate answer key prints on the second page for the grown-up. Tear it off before handing the practice page to your child.
Help students build fluency with Subtracting within 20 using this Grade 1 printable from our Subtraction within 20 series. Aligned to CCSS.Math.1.OA, the page mixes routine computation, short word problems, and visual models so kids see the same idea from multiple angles.
We organize the page so the easier warm-up problems sit at the top and the more challenging stretch questions sit near the bottom, giving students a confidence boost before they reach the harder work. Mastery looks like solving most problems correctly without resorting to finger counting or repeated guessing.
Print one copy per child, set a quiet 10–15 minute block, and let students work through the page with a pencil and an eraser. Sit with them as they finish so any misconceptions surface right away instead of getting practiced into bad habits.
Want a different angle on this skill? Try the matching variants in our Grade 1 · Subtraction within 20 collection, or jump up to the cross-grade Subtraction within 20 hub.
We deliberately keep the layout uncluttered: a clean header, generous spacing for kids to show their work, and a problem grid that does not feel overwhelming. Elementary students get tunnel vision on busy pages, and that visual anxiety is often mistaken for a math gap.
This worksheet is aligned to Common Core State Standard CCSS.Math.1.OA and supports the broader Subtraction within 20 progression that students continue to build through later grades. The same skill is revisited each year with greater abstraction, so the work your student does on this single sheet feeds into the multi-digit and multi-step problems they will see in middle school.
Looking for more Subtraction within 20 practice? Browse the rest of the Grade 1 collection for related printables that scaffold the same standard from different angles.
Sample problems on this worksheet
- 13 − 2 = ___
- 9 − 1 = ___
- 9 − 6 = ___
- 4 − 1 = ___
- 5 − 1 = ___
- 6 − 4 = ___
How to use this worksheet
Print one copy per child on standard letter or A4 paper. Set a quiet 10 to 15 minute window. Hand your student a sharpened pencil and an eraser, and let them work top to bottom. The first row is a warm-up on purpose. The last row is a stretch on purpose. Sit with them as they finish so any misconceptions surface right away instead of getting practiced into a bad habit.
If your student finishes quickly, flip the page over and ask them to write two new problems of their own that target the same skill. It's a powerful retention move. If they get stuck, pull out manipulatives that match the skill (counters for early addition, base-ten blocks for place value, fraction tiles for fractions) and work through one or two problems together before letting them try the rest on their own.
Common Core alignment
This page targets CCSS.Math.1.OA inside the broader Subtraction within 20 progression. The skill is introduced earlier in elementary school through concrete representations and revisited each year with greater abstraction. To see how it develops across grade levels, visit our Subtraction within 20 hub. To see the rest of the Grade 1 work in this strand, visit the Grade 1 · Subtraction within 20 collection.