What’s included in the Practical Subtraction Provision Enhancement Prompts and why is it useful?

EYFS Practical Subtraction Provision Enhancement Prompts is a set of challenge cards for practising practical subtraction across your continuous provision. It covers these areas: Maths, Construction/STEM, Small World, Creative, Home Corner, Fine Motor, Writing, Malleable, Tuff Tray, Sand, Water, Snack and Outdoor.

Challenge Cards

Each card has a short challenge and a clear picture, such as “Roll a dice. Take that number away.” or “Take some fish away. How many are left?”

Advice and Ideas

Next to each pair of cards, the Advice and Ideas panel tells adults how to set up the activity and what to ask, from having a subtraction race with toy cars to using fingers to work out how many are left.

Example Activities

• Small World: help 3 animals escape and count how many are left
• Sand: take away the flags
• Fine Motor: count how many pom poms are left

How do our Provision Enhancement Prompts work?

Print the pages, cut out the challenge cards for the areas you have, and put each one in a frame in the matching provision area. Then set out the resources listed in the Advice and Ideas panel. The cards can stay out all week, so children choose when to have a go, and any adult can use the questions to extend the learning.

Children can use the picture to work out what to do, or have the challenge read to them, and Reception children can have a go at reading the words themselves.

The snack card needs adult supervision.

These cards work best alongside your teaching of practical subtraction. You could use them with our other EYFS subtraction resources, so children meet the same learning in adult-led sessions and in their play.