NumIO math adventure

Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away

The delivery team is loading boxes. Calculate the new total and the boxes still waiting.

Learning goal

Add and subtract three-digit numbers, including regrouping when needed.

Skills you will practise

Three-digit addition
Three-digit subtraction
Regrouping

Worked examples

468 + 257 = 725

Write 257 below 468 with ones under ones, tens under tens, and hundreds under hundreds. Estimate first: 470 + 260 = 730, so the exact sum should be close to 730.
Add the ones: 8 + 7 = 15. Exchange 10 ones for 1 ten without changing the amount. Write 5 in the ones place and carry 1 ten.
Add the tens, including that extra ten: 6 + 5 + 1 = 12. Exchange 10 tens for 1 hundred. Write 2 in the tens place and carry 1 hundred.
Add the hundreds, including that extra hundred: 4 + 2 + 1 = 7. The answer is 7 hundreds, 2 tens, and 5 ones: 725, close to the estimate of 730.
Check by subtracting one addend from the total: 725 − 257 = 468. We get the other addend back.

804 − 286 = 518

Write 286 below 804 with matching places lined up. Start with the ones. There are only 4 ones, so we need to exchange a ten before taking away 6 ones.
The tens place is 0, so first exchange 1 hundred for 10 tens. 8 hundreds, 0 tens, and 4 ones become 7 hundreds, 10 tens, and 4 ones. The amount is still 804.
Now exchange 1 of those tens for 10 ones. We have 7 hundreds, 9 tens, and 14 ones. The amount is still 804; only the grouping has changed.
Use the changed amounts: ones, 14 − 6 = 8; tens, 9 − 8 = 1; hundreds, 7 − 2 = 5. The answer is 518.
Check by adding back what was taken away: 518 + 286 = 804.

468 + ? = 725 → 257

The total is 725 and the known part is 468. Subtract the known part to find the missing part: 725 − 468.
Line up matching places. For the ones, exchange 1 of the 2 tens for 10 ones. That leaves 1 ten and gives 15 ones: 15 − 8 = 7.
There is now only 1 ten. Exchange 1 of the 7 hundreds for 10 tens, leaving 6 hundreds and giving 11 tens. Subtract the tens: 11 − 6 = 5.
Subtract the hundreds: 6 − 4 = 2. Together, 2 hundreds, 5 tens, and 7 ones make 257, so 725 − 468 = 257.
Put 257 in the blank and check the original addition: 468 + 257 = 725.

Common mistake

Do not lose track of a carried or exchanged ten or hundred. Record each changed place and use the updated amount once. Exchanging changes the grouping, not the total amount.

Teach-back question

Why can 10 ones be exchanged for 1 ten without changing the amount? How can you use addition to check 804 − 286 = 518?

How to play

Read the short story, explore the visual model, and complete five untimed questions. Use the hint when you need a new way to think.

Classroom idea

Ask the learner to explain the model or strategy before choosing an answer, then celebrate a clear explanation as well as a correct result.

Frequently asked questions

What grade is “Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away” for?

“Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away” is a Grade 2 Math lesson in NumIO. It practises: three-digit addition, three-digit subtraction, regrouping.

How does the “Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away” mission work?

Each mission has five untimed questions. If an answer is not right yet you can try again, and the hint button offers another way to think.

Is “Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away” free, and do I need an account?

Yes, it is free and there is no account or sign-up. Progress is saved in this browser, so you can come back and continue the mission later.

Back to the adventure map

Elementary math curriculum

First discoveries

Counting Companions — Count objects carefully and match each object to one number.
Bigger, Smaller, In Order — Compare groups and numbers, then put them in a clear order.
Parts Make a Whole — Split numbers into parts and find the missing friend that makes ten.
Pattern Steps — Use equal jumps of two or five to continue a number pattern.
Number Board Trail — Move right, left, up, and down on a number board to find a number.
Add and Take Away — Join and separate small groups to solve addition and subtraction stories.

Level 1

Tens and Ones to 100 — Read two-digit numbers and see how tens and ones build each number.
Twenty-Step Addition — Add and subtract within twenty, including missing parts of an equation.
Compare and Complete — Compare numbers with words and signs, then complete a missing-number equation.
Shape and Place — Name familiar shapes and describe where objects are using position words.
Measure and Tell Time — Compare lengths, measure with a simple unit, and read an hour on a clock.
Patterns and Groups — Continue repeating patterns, sort objects by a feature, and read a small count.

Level 2

Hundreds, Tens, Ones — Build three-digit numbers with hundreds, tens, and ones.
Three-Digit Adding and Taking Away — Add and subtract three-digit numbers, including regrouping when needed.
Equal Groups and Times Tables — See multiplication as equal groups, arrays, and repeated addition.
Units and Time Journeys — Choose a useful unit, convert simple lengths, and find elapsed time.
Flat Shapes and Repeating Designs — Recognize plane figures by their properties and continue a repeating design.
Tables and Picture Graphs — Read a table or graph, compare categories, and find totals and trends.

Level 3

Multiply by grouping — Build several-digit multiplication with equal groups, arrays, and partial products.
Share and find remainders — Divide equal groups and explain both the quotient and the remainder.
Fractions and decimals — See fractions and decimals as parts of one whole and compare their sizes.
Measure the journey — Add and subtract lengths, capacities, masses, and durations with matching units.
Angles, triangles, and circles — Recognize angle sizes and describe triangles and circles with accurate measures.
Read data and relationships — Read tables and bar charts, then use a simple rule to find a related number.

Level 4

Large numbers and rounding — Read the place value of large numbers and round them to a requested place.
Big multiplication and division — Use place value, products, and equal groups to solve larger multiplication and division.
Add and subtract parts — Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator and decimals by place value.
Shape clues — Use angle clues to describe triangles and quadrilaterals and classify their properties.
Perimeter and unit paths — Find the perimeter of shapes and convert measurements between familiar units.
Lines and rules — Read change on line graphs and use a correspondence rule to predict a value.

Level 5

Factor and Multiple Village — Find factors, multiples, common factors, common multiples, GCF, and LCM.
Fraction Bridge — Simplify, make equivalent fractions, use common denominators, and add or subtract fractions.
Product Workshop — Multiply fractions and decimals and explain how the product changes.
Congruence and Symmetry Garden — Recognize congruent shapes, lines of symmetry, and rotational symmetry.
Perimeter and Area Camp — Find perimeters and areas of rectangles, squares, triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids.
Mean and Chance Harbor — Find means and describe the chance of outcomes with data models.

Level 6

Fraction Division Rapids — Divide fractions by multiplying by the reciprocal.
Decimal Division Station — Divide decimals by scaling place values and checking the size of the quotient.
Ratio and Percent Observatory — Connect ratios, percents, and proportions to solve scale problems.
Circle Circuit — Find circumference and area using the explicit classroom value π = 3.14.
Solid Shape Workshop — Find volume and surface area of cubes and cuboids.
Data Chart Lookout — Read strip and pie charts to compare, total, and interpret data.