Grade 4

What is a minus sign?

minus sign

The sign that tells you to take away.

For example

You write the minus sign when you take 5 from 12.

In Grade 4

Children read the minus sign aloud in real calculations so the symbol and the action stay linked.

Watch out for

Children often read the minus sign as if the order does not matter. Nine minus four and four minus nine give different answers.

Say it at home

Write two numbers with a minus sign and ask what happens if you swap them.

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