Adding and Subtracting Strategies Chart
Three ways to add and subtract bigger numbers.
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How to do it
- Look at the stacked problem and its steps.
- Follow the jumps on the number line.
- See how breaking numbers apart gives the same answer.
Teaching tip
Ask your child which way they like best. Different strategies work better for different problems. This sheet is aligned with Common Core 3.NBT.A.2.
About this chart
Three ways to add and subtract within 1,000, stacking with regrouping, counting up on a number line and breaking apart by place.
What kids practice
Third graders add and subtract within 1,000, working toward doing it smoothly and accurately. They regroup in more than one column, like 476 + 358, and subtract from numbers with zeros, like 400 − 126. They also use mental strategies, estimate with rounding, and check subtraction with addition.
Watch for
- Forgetting to add the carried 1.
- Subtracting the smaller digit from the bigger one in each column, no matter which is on top.
- Regrouping across a zero but forgetting to change the zero to 9.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full three-digit addition and subtraction guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
2. Add with Regrouping TwiceThree-digit addition where both the ones and the tens carry, like 476 + 358.
3. Subtract with Regrouping TwiceThree-digit subtraction where both the ones and the tens need to regroup, like 523 − 268.
4. Subtract Across ZerosSubtracting from numbers with zeros, like 400 − 126 and 503 − 247.
5. Add or Subtract? (Mixed)Three-digit addition and subtraction mixed on one page.
6. Estimate, Then SolveEstimate each problem by rounding to the nearest hundred, then solve it exactly on graph paper.
7. Check with the OppositeSolve each problem, then check it with the opposite. Add to check subtraction and subtract to check addition.