Picture Subtraction — Interactive Lesson (Ages 5–6)

Ready to make subtraction visual? This 24-slide interactive lesson teaches picture subtraction, helping Year 1 pupils see taking away as moving back, removing objects and writing a number sentence.

Learning Picture Subtraction in Year 1 Maths

Pupils solve subtraction problems using objects and pictures and write subtraction statements from what they see. They start by moving a bird backwards along the numbers to find answers such as 7 − 3 and 12 − 4, then use images to take away, for example 2 from 8 and 6 from 16, and work with numbers up to 20. Finally, they write a subtraction statement about a picture.

What’s Included

• 24-slide interactive lesson on picture subtraction
• Learning objectives: solve subtraction with objects and pictures, and write subtraction statements
• Starter activities moving a bird backwards along the numbers
• Take-away questions using images, with numbers up to 20
• A task writing a subtraction statement about a picture

Key Benefits for Students

• Makes taking away visual and concrete
• Links pictures to written number sentences
• Builds confidence with subtraction within 20
• Instant feedback on answer questions

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — ready for whole-class teaching on an interactive whiteboard
• Self-marking questions support independent practice
• Drag-and-drop activities keep young pupils engaged
• Suits teaching, revision and homework
• A clear progression from moving back to writing statements

Love this? You’ll love…

• Adding and Subtracting Single Digits — Interactive Lesson (Ages 5–6)
• Addition And Subtraction — Interactive Lesson (Year 1)
• Picture Addition : Interactive Maths Lesson Self-Grading (Year 1)

A dependable addition to a Year 1 addition and subtraction topic, giving pupils a picture-based route into number sentences. Understanding subtraction visually here supports the written methods they meet later.

Make subtraction simple and visual — Add to Basket.

FAQ

What year group is this for? Year 1 (ages 5–6).

Do pupils write subtraction statements? Yes — they write a subtraction statement about a picture.

Is it self-marking? Yes, with instant feedback on the questions.