ABSTRACT
Before we embark on the journey of exploring subtraction strategies for basic math facts, it bears repeating that we cannot just “teach” these strategies. Instead, we must provide a classroom full of rich experiences to help students develop number sense. This includes experiences that highlight the inverse relationships of addition and subtraction and the meaning of equality. It is by providing experiences using concrete materials with interesting and engaging real-life situations, showing these same situations using pictures, and then recording these situations using numbers, that we will provide the conditions necessary for young mathematicians to set the foundation for their learning.
