When I share how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping, I like to help other 2nd grade teachers see that it is all about helping students use place value concepts and find patterns. Sometimes teachers think it’s best to just show students the steps to regrouping. When this happens, students are just following rote rules that they don’t understand. And because of that, they get lost in the steps.

 

So as I share how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping in this blog post, I’m going to share how you can help your 2nd grade students find and use patterns that come with regrouping. And when they find these patterns, regrouping comes naturally for them. They don’t get caught up in the steps. Students can find accurate answers! To get my students to this point, I like to break down how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping into 3 lessons.

 

 

Let me share with you today my 3 lessons I use to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping to my 2nd grade students. I’m also going to share my extra practice activities I give students. These help them master regrouping for subtraction and become fluent with 3-digit subtraction.

 

But before we get started, it’s important to know that students do much better with 3-digit subtraction with regrouping when they are fluent with their basic subtraction facts. I have a free workbook to help you get your students to math fact fluency: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency. Download your free copy here.

 

How to Teach 3-Digit Subtraction With Regrouping

 

I show my students how to regroup with place value blocks. This helps them see when they need to regroup and why. We build the first number in the equation with hundred blocks, ten rods, and then one cubes. Then we start taking away the second number in the equation starting with the ones. If there are not enough ones there to subtract, we regroup a ten rod into 10 ones. This makes it so we can subtract the ones we need to. Then we go to the tens and take away the tens we need to. If there are not enough tens, then we regroup a hundred block into 10 tens. This makes it so we can subtract the tens we need to. Finally, we go to the hundreds and take away the hundred blocks we need to. This leaves the answer.

 

I like to show my students examples of equations where they need to regroup and where they do not need to regroup. This helps students see when they need to regroup. By showing students multiple examples, it will help students see why they need to regroup.

 

I also have display pages that I use to show this. These display pages show 3-digit subtraction with regrouping examples.

When teaching 3-digit subtraction with regrouping, it is imperative that students understand that a ten makes 10 ones and that a hundred makes 10 tens.  Students also need to know that where the digit is placed in a number, shows its value. I like to have these important place value lessons before I begin teaching any 3-digit subtraction strategy. Learn how I teach these place value lessons here in this blog post: Place Value Standards: How to Best Teach Them to 2nd Grade Students

 

 

I show a hundreds, tens, and ones chart in these display pages. This helps me model to students that we can draw pictures of place value blocks to solve. I draw squares for hundred, lines for tens, and dots for ones. After showing students how to draw pictures to solve the problems, it is time for them to get some practice doing it. Then I have them do this with worksheets that have hundreds, tens, and ones charts there for them.

 

I display these worksheets and we do a few together. When we need to regroup, we circle a ten, draw an arrow to the ones section, and draw in 10 ones. If we need to regroup for the tens, we circle a hundred, draw an arrow to the tens, and draw in 10 tens. To show that we are subtracting or taking away, we cross out the amount of ones, tens, and hundreds that we need to. We count up what is left for our answer.

These worksheets are great for students because they have problems where they need to regroup and where they don’t. That way it helps students learn when and why they need to regroup. We do a couple problems together and then I let them do a couple problems by themselves. As they are doing that, I am walking around and helping students and checking their work. Find the display pages and the worksheets on how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping here.

 

 

After students finish those couple of problems by themselves, I direct students’ attention back to me. I will address any misconceptions I noticed as they were solving. Then I want to give students independent practice. To do this I give them another worksheet that looks like the one they just did, but there are different equations.

 

When students complete their worksheet, they know to come meet me at our classroom table. They make a line by where I am sitting. I take a quick look over their work and give any needed help. Students fix any mistakes. Then I give them a big check mark on their page with one of my special smelly markers.

 

This is a great system because I also tell students who need help to take a seat at this table. I go back and forth from checking work and helping students. It works really well! I also like how it allows me to give immediate feedback to my students. Plus, it helps me save time because I am not checking work after school.

Once I have checked students’ work, I pair them up with a partner and they do a little regrouping sorting activity. I have cards with 3-digit subtraction equations. Some need regrouping to solve and some do not. Students work with their partner to sort the equations on whether or not they need to regroup. When students are done, they raise their hands and I do a quick look over their work.

 

 

Find this sorting activity here.

 

Then those students can go do one of our fast finisher activities for the remainder of our math block. Check out my list of engaging fast finisher activities here in this blog post: 12 Fast Finisher Activities That Are So Fun

 

 How to Teach Subtraction with Regrouping 3-Digits

 

For day 2 of how to teach subtraction with regrouping 3-digits equations, I like to still have students draw pictures to solve. But then they also record the numbers and what they are doing with regrouping in a separate hundreds, tens, and ones chart. This chart helps support students as they are learning regrouping. These charts have special regrouping boxes above the hundreds place, tens place, and ones place. This is where students write the changed numbers when they regroup.

 

 

Like the lesson before, I model how to do this to my students. I use display pages where I draw the pictures and have the hundreds, tens, and ones chart where I line up the numbers.

 

Then I fill in the numbers and draw the pictures. We cross off ones, tens, and hundreds and regroup when needed. I have students record the numbers in the regrouping boxes.

 

We count the ones that are left, the tens that are left, and the hundreds that are left. These numbers are our answer.

 

I’ll show students a few more examples of this and will get them involved in practicing the regrouping method by asking questions. These questions might be like “what do we do now?” or “what do we do next?” or “do we need to regroup?” Find the display pages I use here.

 

Then students are ready to get their own practice. I have them do 3-digit subtraction regrouping worksheets that have the same format of the display pages we just used. Like before, I do a couple of the problems on the worksheets with my students but then they do the rest by themselves. Find these worksheets here.

 

I walk around and help students. As I do so, I’m taking mental notes of misconceptions I see. Then I bring back the class’s attention and we go over those misconceptions.

 

After that, it’s time for independent practice. I give students a similar worksheet and when students are finished, they line up by our classroom table and I give any needed help as I check their work.

Once I have checked their work, I have students do a scoot activity around the room with a partner. I have taped up task cards around our classroom that have different 3-digit subtraction equations. Students go around with a recording sheet and solve to find the answers.

 

 

Find this scoot activity to do in your classroom here.

 

I set out an answer key so students can check their own work once they have finished. Then they go do a fast finisher activity after that. Many of the fast finisher options for my students are math games that help them practice their fact fluency. Learn about these games here.

 

3-Digit Subtraction With Regrouping

 

For the third lesson, I want to transition students from drawing pictures to solve the equations, to just using the patterns they have learned to line up the numbers and solve.

 

To do this, I write up 3 equations where you need to regroup. I tell students to pay attention to what I put in the regrouping boxes when I need to regroup. After I solve these equations, I ask students, “what did you notice about the numbers?”

 

I want them to notice that when we need to regroup, the place we are regrouping from has one less, and then we have ten more in the place we needed more.

 

This pattern happens every time we regroup!

 

I show my students a few more 3-digit subtraction with regrouping examples with our display pages and get them involved in solving these by asking questions.

 

 

Then they are ready to practice with worksheets. I do the first couple of problems with my students and then they do the rest by themselves. Find these worksheets here.

 

We follow the same system as the days before for me checking their work. 

Then I have a really fun activity for my students to get some extra practice with this. It’s a 3-digit subtraction with regrouping scavenger hunt!

 

 

I make these cute little books for students and it has prompts like, “find an equation with only even numbers.” Around the classroom I have taped up different subtraction equations. Students go around and find that equation with only even numbers and solve it. My 2nd graders think this is so fun! Find this scavenger hunt to have your students do here.

 

Then I’ll have students complete an exit ticket. This is a slip of paper that has students solve just a couple problems. I check these later and I can see who has mastered 3-digit subtraction with regrouping and who needs a little more practice.

 

Then I can use the extra versions of the worksheets students have been doing the past lessons to help students in small groups.

 

I also have fun color by number worksheets where students practice regrouping. These are great to set out as an independent center activity.

 

Find all of my 3-digit subtraction with regrouping worksheets and other resources I’ve shared today in this TpT product here. This resource has the display pages I use for direct instruction. It also includes all of the scaffolded worksheets for guided and independent practice. Don’t worry, it has the sorting activity, the scoot activity, the scavenger hunt, the color by number worksheets, and the exit tickets for assessment. It has everything you need to teach regrouping for subtraction! Find this resource in a money-saving bundle with all of my 3-digit subtraction strategy resources here.

 

When it comes to how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply break it down into 3 different lessons. The first lesson has students drawing models to solve. For the second lesson, students still draw pictures to solve, but they also line up the numbers to record what they are doing. This helps them see important patterns. That way for the third lesson, students can use those patterns they have learned to just line up the numbers and solve.

 

This way of teaching the regrouping for subtraction helps students truly understand why and when they need to regroup. Soon students are fluent with subtracting 3-digit numbers with regrouping, making this the best way on how to teach 3-digit subtraction with regrouping.

 

Regrouping isn’t the only way I teach my 2nd grade students how to subtract. Learn about all of the 3-digit subtraction strategies I teach my students here in this blog post: Subtraction Strategies for 3 Digit Numbers: How 2nd Grade Students Best Understand Them

 

How to Teach 3-Digit Addition With Regrouping

 

You can teach 3-digit addition in a very similar way. I break it down into 3 lessons where students learn the patterns of regrouping by drawing the models and then eventually get it so they can just line up and solve. You can have students do similar worksheets and activities to help students learn this with addition. Read exactly how to teach 3-digit addition with regrouping here in this blog post: How to Best Teach the Regrouping Method With 3-Digit Addition