Simple subtraction worksheets showing negative answers introduced with the number line. This is your starting point for negative numbers.
Negative numbers are a big concept to introduce, but their role in subtraction is obvious. Subtracting a larger value from a smaller one yields a negative result. All of the subtraction worksheets prior to these are constructed to insure that there are not negative answers to any of the subtraction problems. These worksheets use the number line to gradually introduce negative answers. A clear starting point is to subtraction from zero. The first set of worksheets in this section focus on subtracting small numbers from zero, and include a double-ended number line to allow students to visually 'count back' the appropriate number of steps to get the result. Subsequent worksheets start with a subtrahend that is greater than zero, working up through increasingly larger arguments. Once students master these negative subtraction worksheets, they should have an understanding of why a negative result is obtained and be able to quickly identify these situations without using number lines or other manipulatives.