Addition and Subtraction Problems — Victorian Year 3 Maths
Deciding whether to add or subtract in word problems, finding missing numbers in number sentences, and using fact families to check answers. Three subtopics and 60 questions, aligned to VC2M3N08 and VC2M3A01.
Addition and Subtraction Problems in Victorian Year 3
This topic puts addition and subtraction to work. Year 3 students read short maths stories, decide which operation to use, find missing numbers and see how addition and subtraction undo each other.
The three subtopics below cover addition and subtraction word problems, missing numbers in number sentences, and the inverse relationship shown by fact families. Addition and Subtraction Problems is one of the 18 topics in Victorian Year 3 Maths and draws on the Number and Algebra strands. It covers Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes VC2M3N08 and VC2M3A01. These skills support every later topic with measurements and money, and lead on to multiplication and division problems.
Subtopics
Addition and Subtraction Problems: common questions
How can my child tell whether to add or subtract?
Picture the story. If amounts are joined or the question asks for a total, add. If something is taken away, or the question asks how many more, how many fewer or how many are left, subtract. A bar model with the whole on top and the parts below makes the choice easier to see.
What is a bar model?
A bar model is a long rectangle for the whole, split into parts. If the whole is 80 and one part is 36, the missing part is \(80 - 36 = 44\). If both parts are known, add them to find the whole.
What does the equals sign really mean?
It means both sides have the same value, not that the answer comes next. So \(18 + 7 = 20 + \square\) needs 5 in the box, because both sides make 25. Children who read the equals sign as the answer often write 25 in the box.
How do fact families help with checking?
Addition and subtraction undo each other. If \(82 - 47 = 35\), then \(35 + 47\) should give 82. Adding the answer to the number taken away is a quick way to check any subtraction.
Which curriculum codes cover Addition and Subtraction Problems in Victorian Year 3?
The subtopics come under Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes VC2M3N08 (solving everyday problems with number sentences) and VC2M3A01 (how addition and subtraction undo each other, and finding unknown numbers).