Horizontal Subtraction with a Number Line

Today in our Stepping Stones Math we used fraction strips to subtract decimal fractions to the tenth.  One unique way that we are learning to find the difference between numbers is to work horizontally.  At first this concept seemed some what foreign to our students, but the more we practice, the more it is beginning to make sense.  When you find the difference horizontally (using a number line), you can almost literally see what is in between the two original numbers.  This makes a lot of sense when you are discussing the difference in distance and time, since both in some ways are actually measured horizontally.  Cool idea...that we are continually improving at.