Vertical Subtraction Worksheet – Free Printable PDF
This free vertical subtraction worksheet introduces the stacked column layout children will use for the rest of their school maths. Twelve sums are printed with one number above the other, a minus sign on the left, a horizontal line, and a dashed answer box below it. Every problem stays within 10 and none needs borrowing, so the layout is the only new thing to learn. Print it instantly — no login, no payment, no sign-up required.
- 📚 GRADE LEVEL → Nursery – LKG – 1st – 2nd
- 👶 AGE GROUP → 3–7 Years
- 📐 PAGE SIZE → A4 Size
- 🎯 DIFFICULTY → Beginner
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More about this worksheet
About This Free Vertical Subtraction Worksheet for Kids
One page, one method — that is the whole of this free vertical subtraction worksheet. A name and date line runs across the top, a coloured title band names the activity, and one line of instructions sits beneath it. At Kidzolearn, every worksheet is 100% free to download and print — no login, no subscription, no payment required.
Twelve problems written vertically, four across and three down. The larger number sits on top, the number being taken away below it with a minus sign to the left, a rule underneath and a dashed answer box below the rule. The problems are 6 − 2, 8 − 5, 9 − 3, 7 − 4, 10 − 6, 8 − 2, 9 − 7, 10 − 4, 6 − 3, 7 − 1, 10 − 9 and 9 − 5. Starting numbers run from six to ten.
With subtraction the order of the two numbers matters, unlike addition. Every problem here prints the larger number on top, so a child absorbs that convention by seeing it twelve times rather than being told it. The answer belongs below the line, not beside it. Children who have only written answers after an equals sign often put it in the wrong place on their first column sheet. For more early maths in the same style, see our uppercase letter tracing worksheets, and the full library sits on our free printable worksheets for kids.
What your child will learn from this worksheet
By the time the page is finished, your child will have practised:
- Read a sum written top to bottom rather than left to right
- Learn that the larger number always goes on top in column subtraction
- Write the difference in the correct place, directly under the line
- Solve twelve column sums within 10, none of them needing borrowing
- Build the neat alignment habit that two-digit subtraction will later demand
These are the early number objectives set in LKG, UKG, Reception, Year 1 and Grade 1. Subtraction rests on secure counting, so if any of these feel slow, our shapes worksheets for kids are the place to rebuild that foundation before pushing on.
Who is this worksheet best for?
This free vertical subtraction worksheet is perfect for:
- Kindergarten and Grade 1 children aged 5 to 7 years meeting subtraction for the first time
- Preschool and Kindergarten classroom maths centres and small-group teaching
- UK Reception and Year 1 KS1 children working on taking away within 10
- Homeschooling parents introducing subtraction gently before written sums
Browse the complete collection of Free Subtraction Worksheets for Kids on Kidzolearn for more free subtraction printables.
How to download and print this free worksheet
Click the “Download Free Worksheet” button on this page — the PDF downloads instantly with no sign-up or email required. Print on standard A4 paper for the best experience. Once your child no longer needs the pictures, move on to the Addition Worksheet for written practice in the same range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Kidzolearn worksheets really free?
Yes! Every worksheet on Kidzolearn is 100% free — no subscription, no login and no payment required at any time. Simply click the download button, save the PDF and print it instantly at home or in the classroom.
At what age should children start using this vertical subtraction worksheet?
Most children are ready from around age five, once they can count a group of ten objects reliably and have already met addition. Subtraction sits on top of both of those — a child who is still unsure of counting, or who has not yet seen what adding does, will find taking away confusing rather than difficult. Say the story out loud together before anything is written down.
What is the difference between vertical and column subtraction?
They are the same thing under two names. US materials usually say vertical subtraction or stacked subtraction, while UK schools say column subtraction or the column method. This vertical subtraction worksheet uses the identical layout either way — the larger number on top, a minus sign on the left, a line, and the answer beneath — so it fits US, UK and Indian classrooms without any change.
Is column subtraction part of the official early years curriculum?
Yes. Taking away within ten is a named objective in early years maths almost everywhere. Indian schools cover it across UKG and Grade 1; the UK sets it in the EYFS early learning goals and Year 1 of KS1; the US covers it in Kindergarten and Grade 1, including representing subtraction with objects, fingers and drawings before written equations. Every one of those frameworks puts counting and addition first, which is why our free alphabet tracing worksheets cover the counting work that sits underneath all of this.
Can I use these worksheet at home?
Absolutely! This worksheet is completely free to download and print at home. All you need is a printer and a pencil — no cost, no sign-up and no login required. You can print it as many times as your child needs.