Double Trouble: Subtraction Practice

Double-digit trouble? No problem! Your students will practice their decomposing and regrouping skills in this lesson.

Need extra help for EL students? Try the Regrouping with Base-Ten Blocks pre-lesson.

Need extra help for EL students? Try the Regrouping with Base-Ten Blocks pre-lesson.

Students will be able to accurately subtract two-digit problems with regrouping.

The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.

EL adjustmentsOnOff

(5 minutes)

Gather students together in a circle. On a small whiteboard, write the subtraction problem 31 – 16, vertically. Say, "I have 31 delicious cupcakes. I give 16 away to my friends. How many do I have left?" Explain to the students that to solve this problem, we can use base-ten blocks.
Get out base-ten blocks. Have a student create the total number of cupcakes and place the blocks on the place value chart.
Say, "I want to take 16 cupcakes away. Hmm. I see that I can take one group of ten, which is equal to ten ones. But I only have one 1 in my ones place! What should I do?"

Beginning

Review the concept of subtraction prior to the lesson by providing a student-friendly definition, visual, and opportunities for students to solve simple subtraction problems.
Provide the definition of subtraction in student's home language (L1) if student is literate in their home language.
Show students a picture of a cupcake so they can visualize the story problem you are telling.

Intermediate

Review concept of place value with students prior to the lesson, having them use visual representations and blocks to show understanding.
Review the concept of strategy with students prior to the lesson.
Have student sit next to the teacher during the introduction.