Hockey Maths
Hockey personal bests maths challenge
A child-friendly sports challenge using personal bests to practise subtraction with real examples.
Quick answer
You can use subtraction to find out how much better your hockey personal best is than your last score by taking your old score away from your new score.Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will be able to use subtraction to find the difference between your hockey personal best and a previous score. Success signs:- You can subtract two numbers to find how much one is bigger than the other
- You can use a number line or counting backwards to solve subtraction problems
- You can find the difference between your old hockey score and your new score
- You can use subtraction to track your improvement in hockey
Why this matters
Subtraction helps you see how much you’ve improved in hockey. When you beat your personal best, you can use subtraction to find out by how much. This is useful not just in hockey, but in any sport or activity where you want to track your progress. It also helps you understand how much you've grown in maths, like how much taller you've got or how much faster you can run.How it works
To find out how much better your personal best is than your last score, you subtract the old score from the new score. This means you take away the smaller number from the bigger number. Let's look at this step by step:- First, you find your two scores – the old one and the new one
- Then, you decide which is bigger – this is your new score
- Next, you take away the smaller number from the bigger one
- The answer tells you how much better you are now
Examples you can see
Let's imagine you're playing hockey and you want to see how much better you are now than before. Example 1: Last week you scored 5 goals. This week you scored 8 goals. How many more goals did you score this week? To find out, we subtract: 8 – 5 = 3 So you scored 3 more goals this week than last week. Example 2: You scored 3 goals in a game last month. You scored 7 goals in a game this month. How many more goals did you score this month? We subtract: 7 – 3 = 4 You scored 4 more goals this month than last month. Example 3: You scored 10 goals in a match last year. This year you scored 15 goals. How many more goals did you score this year? We subtract: 15 – 10 = 5 You scored 5 more goals this year than last year.Try it as a mini adventure
Hockey Personal Best Challenge You're a hockey star! You've been keeping track of your goals for the last few months. Now it's time to see how much better you've become.- First time: You scored 4 goals in your first game
- Second time: You scored 6 goals in your second game
- Third time: You scored 9 goals in your third game
- Fourth time: You scored 12 goals in your fourth game
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Subtracting the bigger number from the smaller number instead of the other way around.
Why it happens: Sometimes children get confused about which number to subtract from which.
Fix: Always check which number is bigger and subtract the smaller one from the bigger one. - Mistake: Forgetting to write the answer in the right place.
Why it happens: Children might write the subtraction but not finish the calculation.
Fix: Always make sure to write the equals sign and the answer. - Mistake: Using a number line but counting the wrong way.
Why it happens: Children might start counting forward instead of backwards.
Fix: When using a number line for subtraction, always count backwards from the bigger number.
Parent and carer guide
Parents and carers can help by:- Encouraging children to talk through subtraction problems with real hockey scores
- Using a number line or counting backwards to solve subtraction problems
- Practising subtraction with everyday examples like goals, time, or money
- Reinforcing that subtraction shows how much something has improved
- Helping children understand that bigger numbers mean better performance
Practice questions
- You scored 3 goals last week. You scored 7 goals this week. How many more goals did you score this week?
- You scored 5 goals in your first match. You scored 9 goals in your second match. How many more goals did you score in the second match?
- You scored 2 goals in a game last month. You scored 6 goals this month. How many more goals did you score this month?
- You scored 8 goals in a match last year. You scored 12 goals this year. How many more goals did you score this year?
- You scored 4 goals in your first game. You scored 10 goals in your second game. How many more goals did you score in the second game?
- 7 – 3 = 4
- 9 – 5 = 4
- 6 – 2 = 4
- 12 – 8 = 4
- 10 – 4 = 6
FAQ
What is subtraction?
Subtraction is taking one number away from another. It helps us find the difference between two numbers.
Why do we use subtraction in hockey?
We use subtraction in hockey to see how much better you are now than before. It helps track your progress and shows how much you've improved.
Can I use subtraction for other sports?
Yes! You can use subtraction for any sport or activity where you want to track your improvement, like running faster or jumping higher.
How can I practice subtraction at home?
You can practice subtraction with your goals, your pocket money, or even the number of toys you have. The more you practice, the better you get!
What if I make a mistake in subtraction?
Mistakes are part of learning! When you make a mistake, you can check your work and try again. That’s how you get better at subtraction.