• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Customer Service
  • My Account
  • Cart

RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

Menu
  • Curriculum
    • The RightStart™ Difference
    • RightStart™ for Home School
    • RightStart™ Tutoring
    • RightStart™ for Classrooms
    • Research
    • Spotlight on Kids
  • Games
  • Resources
    • Take the Placement Test
    • Recorded Webinars
    • Sample Lessons
    • Teaching Support
    • Levels G and H
    • Apps
    • Songs
    • Calendar
    • Social Media / Articles
    • FAQs
  • Blog
  • About
    • About the Author
    • Our Staff
    • Awards & Reviews
    • Customer Testimonials
    • Our Affiliate Program
  • Contact
    • Submit a Testimonial
    • Request a Presentation
    • Request an Event Speaker
    • Request a Classroom Quote
    • Request Professional Development
  • Placement Test
  • Shop

2022 Summer Game #14: Short Chain Subtraction

August 30, 2022 by Teresa Foltin

Did you enjoy last week’s game? Happily, there are many variations of the chain games and our family has played most of them as solitaire games. Nicholas, Chiara, and Ian played Short Chain Subtraction today, game S18 in the Math Card Games book, and had a great time! This variation is a great family game and is best for two to three players.

You need six of each of the following basic number cards: 1s, 3s, 7s, and 9s. You also need three of each these basic number cards: 2s, 4s, 6s, and 8s. The columns for this chain game must begin with certain numbers, so provide a piece of paper showing the required numbers. Here they are.

Shuffle the deck and deal all of the cards face down evenly to everyone. Each player picks up the top four cards from his deck. During each turn, the player may play as many of the four cards as possible.

Here Nicholas played 1, 9, 7 and 4, as identified by our starting numbers. He then replenished his hand from his stack so he had four again in his hand.

Next Chiara played a 3 in the second column and a 3 on the 4 in the fourth column because 7 – 4 = 3. See how we’re taking the top two numbers, subtracting them, then laying down the card with the answer?

On Ian’s turn, he played a 2 on the 1 and a 9 on the 2.

How did he know what number to play on the 2? When looking at the two most recent cards in a column, you can assume a 1 in the tens place when the number on the last card is more than the one above it. So, in this case the 1 becomes an 11 and 11 – 2 = 9.

As play continued, the kids will know a column is complete when the first and last cards are the same. No more cards are added to that completed column.

Toward the end of the game, Nicholas had only one card left but Chiara had four and Ian had two. Sure enough, Nicholas won when he played that last card! Note that not all the columns must be complete in order to end the game. The game is over when someone is out of cards!

As you get comfortable with the game, you can make strategic decisions based on what cards will be needed a few plays ahead. Nicholas is pretty good at that. We’re off to play another round!

Looking for a solitaire option? Short Chain Subtraction Solitaire, game S19 in the Math Card Games book, makes for a fun solo challenge. The cards and starting numbers are the same as above. Deal all of the cards in fans of 3, face up.

Only the top card of each fan can be played, so look ahead when you have choices. The last card in any column can be moved to another column if you wish. If you get stuck, you may reshuffle the remaining cards once and lay out new fans.

Here, Peter played a 7 on the 6 in the last column, which freed a 9 to be played in the first column. This was followed by the 8 and 1, which closed out the first column.

Then Peter played the 2 on the 1 followed by the 9 in the third column, closing that column out as well.

Here is Peter’s successfully completed columns! Way to go!

FacebookTwitterPinterestPrintFriendly

Filed Under: 1. Card Games, 4. General Info Tagged With: cards, games, homeschool, math, Math Card Games, math facts, math games, RightStart, RightStart Math, RightStart Mathematics, subtraction, subtraction games, summer, summer games

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah Cummings says

    August 20, 2018 at 11:59 am

    Must give this a go. Need some more games to try. Thanks for the post!

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • 1. Card Games
  • 2. Lessons
  • 3. Struggling Learner
  • 4. General Info
  • 5. News
  • 6. Montessori
  • 7. Classroom

What our Customers Are Saying

Thank you so much for your RightStart Math Curriculum. I have been using it for 3 years with my son and my daughter is beginning her second year. I love the strategies you use for teaching math and the lessons are fun to teach.
Jennifer Traugott
My daughter is 7 and this is our 2nd year to use RightStart Math. She is in 2nd grade and is adding and subtracting 4 digits numbers with trading like it is nothing. She also can do her multiplications. The most amazing thing is that when she is somewhere and has to spend her money she is quick to tell them how much change she needs back. I have seen a lot of teenagers and adults who cannot do thi… Read more
Jana Owens
My daughter is in 4th grade this year. Math has always been a struggle for her, as it was for her father. I discovered that she has dyslexia (which is hereditary). I didn’t realize that had any effect on math, but I found out that people with dyslexia cannot learn with rote memorization or sequential skills. This makes it harder for them to remember math facts or how to do algorithms. Before I kne… Read more
Anna Knotts

Footer

RightStart™ Mathematics logo
Shop Online Apps Customer Service
Copyright © 2023 Activities For Learning, Inc. | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Developed by Vivid Image
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Curriculum
    • The RightStart™ Difference
    • RightStart™ for Home School
    • RightStart™ Tutoring
    • RightStart™ for Classrooms
    • Research
    • Spotlight on Kids
    • Back
  • Games
  • Resources
    • Take the Placement Test
    • Recorded Webinars
    • Sample Lessons
    • Teaching Support
    • Levels G and H
    • Apps
    • Songs
    • Calendar
    • Social Media / Articles
    • FAQs
    • RightStart™ Math Online Conference 2023
    • Back
  • Blog
  • About
    • About the Author
    • Our Staff
    • Awards & Reviews
    • Customer Testimonials
    • Our Affiliate Program
    • Back
  • Contact
    • Submit a Testimonial
    • Request a Presentation
    • Request an Event Speaker
    • Request a Classroom Quote
    • Request Professional Development
    • Back
  • Placement Test
  • Shop
  • Customer Service
  • My Account
  • Cart