Max Rescues the Hanukkah Menorah: Subtraction Mission!

About this Grade 1 Subtracting Multiples Of 10 Drill

Subtracting multiples of 10 is a cornerstone skill that helps first graders build number sense and confidence with larger numbers. When children master removing 10, 20, or 30 from a number like 45 or 67, they're learning that the tens place operates independently from the ones place—a foundational concept for all future math. This skill appears constantly in real life: counting down token exchanges at a prize booth, removing 10 coins from a piggy bank, or subtracting 20 pages from a reading goal. At ages 6–7, children's brains are developing abstract thinking, and working with multiples of 10 makes subtraction feel predictable and manageable rather than overwhelming. Rather than memorizing random facts, students discover a pattern they can apply again and again, building the mental flexibility they'll need for two-digit subtraction. This worksheet gives them focused, repeated practice so the pattern becomes automatic.

What your student will practice

• Subtract single multiples of 10 (10, 20, 30) from two-digit numbers
• Recognize that subtracting tens does not change the ones digit
• Use tens and ones thinking to solve subtraction problems quickly
• Apply subtracting-multiples-of-10 to word problems with real contexts

Common mistakes to watch for

The most frequent error is students subtracting the 10 or 20 from the ones digit instead of the tens digit—for example, answering 35 − 20 = 17 because they subtracted 2 from 5 ones. Another common pattern is forgetting the ones digit entirely, writing 35 − 20 = 1 instead of 15. You'll spot this mistake if a child crosses out or erases the ones digit or looks confused about where it goes. Watch for hesitation or counting backward on fingers too—that signals the child hasn't yet grasped that only the tens column changes.