Subtraction: Booklet 1

Subtraction: Booklet 1 – Beginning Subtraction from Pattern Press is a hands-on math curriculum resource designed to help students build a deep conceptual understanding of subtraction through storytelling, manipulatives, visual models, and discovery-based learning.

This complete booklet set includes a 68-page Parent/Teacher Guide and a 40-page Student Workbook that introduce subtraction concepts in a natural and meaningful way. Developed by Prof. Emeritus Michael Butler at the world renowned UCI Farm Elementary School, this unique approach helps students understand subtraction conceptually before moving into standard notation and procedures.

The Patterns in Arithmetic series teaches for understanding using an inductive and discovery-based approach. Students begin by creating subtraction stories with edible manipulatives and concrete objects, then gradually learn to record those experiences with numbers and symbolic notation. Through this progression, learners develop true number sense and understand why subtraction works rather than simply memorizing procedures.

The Parent/Teacher Guide includes teaching instructions, lesson support, games, sample dialogues, and the Answer Key. The Student Workbook includes worksheets and practice pages designed to reinforce conceptual understanding through active learning.

Topics included in this booklet:

• Student Evaluation
• Fishy Game and Story Problems
• Recording: Representational
• Recording: Representational with Number Sentences
• Answer Key

This resource also includes:

• Foreword by Professor Michael Butler
• Introduction
• Farm School Math Notes
• Teaching Techniques
• Arithmetic Conventions
• Math Journal
• Sequence Guides
• Lesson Planning
• Materials and Resources

Core Learning Skills:

• Building foundational subtraction understanding through hands-on learning
• Connecting concrete manipulatives to subtraction concepts
• Developing number sense through mathematical storytelling
• Transitioning from visual representations to symbolic notation
• Understanding subtraction as taking away and comparing quantities
• Strengthening mathematical communication through guided dialogue
• Building confidence with beginning subtraction strategies
• Supporting conceptual understanding before memorizing procedures
• Encouraging flexible thinking through visual and tactile exploration

Perfect for:

• Homeschool math curriculums
• Classroom teachers using hands-on math instruction
• Charter school math curriculum programs
• Visual and tactile learners
• Early subtraction and number sense instruction