New
New
Year 4

Subtract 4-digit numbers using column subtraction

I can subtract two 4-digit numbers using column subtraction, regrouping hundreds, tens and ones.

New
New
Year 4

Subtract 4-digit numbers using column subtraction

I can subtract two 4-digit numbers using column subtraction, regrouping hundreds, tens and ones.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Column subtraction can be used to subtract 4-digit numbers.
  2. Work from the ones column on the right so that regrouping can be represented.
  3. If the tens value of the subtrahend is greater than the tens value of the minuend, regroup 1 hundred as 10 tens.
  4. If the hundreds value of the subtrahend is greater than the hundreds of the minuend, regroup 1 thousand as 10 hundreds.

Common misconception

Trying to subtract 3 from 2 for example without regrouping and seeing the difference as 1

Continually acknowledge the whole and the parts in each 'column' so that children know what we have and what is being subtracted.

Keywords

  • Column subtraction - Column subtraction is a way of subtracting numbers by writing a number below another.

  • Regrouping - The process of unitising and exchanging between place values is known as regrouping.

Base 10 is used to support visualisation of the first few examples, but once able to do this, children should be able to apply their learning of column subtraction with 3-digits to 4-digit calculations and this scaffold can be removed.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Complete the sentence. We can regroup 1 hundred as ___ tens.
1
Correct answer: 10
100
Q2.
Where is regrouping needed in this column subtraction?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Regrouping is needed in the ones.
Regrouping is needed in the tens.
Regrouping is needed in the ones and tens.
Regrouping is not needed.
Q3.
Where is regrouping needed in this column subtraction?
An image in a quiz
Regrouping is needed in the ones.
Regrouping is needed in the tens.
Correct answer: Regrouping is needed in the ones and tens.
Regrouping is not needed.
Q4.
Calculate the difference.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 521
Q5.
Calculate the difference.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 372
Q6.
Calculate the difference.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 288

6 Questions

Q1.
Complete the sentence. We can regroup 1 thousand as ____ hundreds.
1
Correct answer: 10
100
Q2.
Where is regrouping needed in this column subtraction?
An image in a quiz
Only the ones
Correct answer: The ones and the tens
The tens and the hundreds
Only the hundreds
Q3.
Calculate the difference.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 1,635
Q4.
Calculate the difference.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 3,680
Q5.
Sam had 4,991 tickets. She bought an airplane for 3,458 tickets. How many tickets does she have left?
Correct Answer: 1,533
Q6.
Lucas had 2,392 tickets. He bought a car from the ticket shop and had 1,641 tickets left. How many tickets did the car cost?
2,351
867
Correct answer: 751
1,568