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Ages 5+ · Abacus · Taking away
Taking away from five
3
Two of five beads slid back: three stay across.
The big ideaThe beads that slide back are taken away. The beads still across stay.

How it works

Start with five beads across, one for each fish in the bowl.

Slide back one bead for each fish that leaves.

The beads still across are the fish still in the bowl.

The fish that left and the fish that stayed make five all together.

Five beads across: five fish in the bowl.
3
Two slid back: three fish stay in the bowl.

Example 1: Five take away two

  1. Mia has five fish in a bowl: five beads across.
  2. She lifts two fish out, so slide two beads back.
  3. Count the beads still across: three.
  4. 5 − 2 = 3
3
Five take away two leaves three.

Example 2: Five take away four

  1. Five beads are across.
  2. Four fish go out, so slide four beads back.
  3. One bead stays across.
  4. 5 − 4 = 1
1
Five take away four leaves one.

Example 3: Every fish out

  1. Five beads are across.
  2. Every fish goes out, so slide every bead back.
  3. No beads stay across: none.
  4. 5 − 5 = 0
0
Every bead slid back: none stay.

Example 4: Fingers

  1. Show five fingers.
  2. Put three fingers down.
  3. Two fingers stay up.
  4. 5 − 3 = 2
2
Five take away three leaves two.

Words to know

take away
To slide beads back.
leaves
What is still there after you take away.
none
Not any: no beads stay across.

Watch out

Try it

  1. What is 5 − 3?
  2. What is 5 − 1?
  3. Five fingers are up. Two go down. How many stay up?
  4. Every bead slides back. How many stay across?
Answers: 1. 2 · 2. 4 · 3. 3 · 4. None
Try at homeHold up all five fingers, put two down, and say how many stay up. Then try three, and then four, and ask a grown-up to play too.
For grown-upsHold up all five fingers, put two down and say how many stay up. Then try three, then four.
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