Made with the help of AI from public curriculum standards, then checked. Mistakes can slip through, so please look it over before use. Found one? Tell us and we will fix it.
What's on the worksheet
Read each problem. Write the equation and the answer. Draw a picture if it helps.
Write your own story problem for 16 − 7. Then solve it. ★
Skills practiced
Six story problems within 20 give your child practice with the different faces of subtraction: taking away, finding what is left, comparing two amounts (how many more), finding a missing part, and splitting a group into two kinds. First graders often think subtraction only means taking away; seeing a comparison problem and a missing-part problem on the same page widens that picture. Your child writes an equation for each one and then a short answer.
Common Core 1.OA.A.1: Solving story problems up to 20 that join, separate, or compare amounts
Common Core 1.OA.B.4: Thinking of subtraction as finding the missing part of an addition
Your child reads the instruction out loud and explains in their own words what to do.
Work through the tasks in order: the first ones are easier and warm up for the next.
The task with a star is optional, for early finishers.
Check together with the answer key and redo only what was wrong.
Tips for parents and teachers
Ask your child to draw each story with simple circles, crossing out what goes away. For problem 4, line up two rows of circles, one for Owen and one for Ella, and count the extra ones; this makes how many more easy to see. A common slip is adding because both numbers appear in the question. If that happens, ask: will the answer be bigger or smaller than 14?
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Start with problems 1, 2, and 3, which are all take-away stories, and act them out with small objects before writing the equation.
Harder: Have your child check each answer with an addition equation, for example 7 + 5 = 12, and write one comparison problem of their own.
Answer key
Show the answer key
Answer Key: Subtraction Word Problems
1st Grade · Math
CCSS 1.OA.A.1, CCSS 1.OA.B.4 · ★★ Medium
cozyworksheets
1Read each problem. Write the equation and the answer. Draw a picture if it helps.
1. There are 12 birds on a fence. 5 birds fly away. How many birds are still on the fence?
Equation:12 − 5 = 7Answer:7 birds
2. Noah has 15 crayons. He gives 6 crayons to his sister. How many crayons does Noah have left?
Equation:15 − 6 = 9Answer:9 crayons
3. Lily has 11 balloons. 3 of them pop. How many balloons does Lily have now?
Equation:11 − 3 = 8Answer:8 balloons
4. Owen has 14 marbles. Ella has 8 marbles. How many more marbles does Owen have than Ella?
Equation:14 − 8 = 6Answer:6 more marbles
5. There were 16 cookies on a plate. The children ate some. Now there are 6 cookies. How many cookies did the children eat?
Equation:16 − 6 = 10Answer:10 cookies
6. There are 13 fish in a tank. 8 fish are orange and the rest are blue. How many fish are blue?
Equation:13 − 8 = 5Answer:5 blue fish
2Write your own story problem for 16 − 7. Then solve it. ★
Answers will vary. The answer is 9.
More 1st Grade worksheets Scan the code or visit cozyworksheets.com/1st-grade/. Free, with answer keys.
It is made for 1st Grade (ages 6-7). The level is ★★ medium, so it suits children who already know the basics.
How long does it take?
About 20 minutes, about the length of a short homework task or a warm-up at the start of a lesson.
Where is the answer key?
On the second page of the PDF and on this page under Show the answer key. To print for a whole class, print only the first page of the PDF.
Which standard does it practice?
Common Core 1.OA.A.1 (solving story problems up to 20 that join, separate, or compare amounts); Common Core 1.OA.B.4 (thinking of subtraction as finding the missing part of an addition).
Can I use it in my classroom?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for your own children or students. Please do not resell it or upload it to other websites.
Need a fresh version?The worksheet maker builds new pages with different numbers, mazes and tracing rows, plus versions A, B and C for a class.Open the worksheet maker
