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Making Ten to Add & Subtract: A Live Workshop for K–2 Teachers
We want students to see how numbers work together. To recognize that 10 can be made with 6 and 4, 7 and 3, or 5 and 5. To understand that when we move one counter from one group to another, the total stays the same. These number relationships become the foundation for mental math, addition and subtraction, and eventually place value.
And that kind of understanding takes time and meaningful practice! Before expecting students to recall combinations to 10 automatically, we need to give them opportunities to see ten, build it, break it apart, and explain their thinking.
Let’s take a look at some of the Making 10 mini-lessons, games, and math centers I’ve used with 1st graders to help them build those important number relationships.
Shake and Spill was one of our first guided math lessons, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to introduce combinations to 10! All you need are 10 double-sided counters from Amazon (affiliate link) and a small cup.
Students place their counters in the cup, give it a shake, and spill them onto the table. Then, they sort the counters by color and describe what they notice. Maybe they spilled 6 red and 4 yellow. Together, those parts make 10!
As students work, I love asking, “What do you notice?” or “How do you know you still have 10?” We want students to recognize that even when the two parts change, the whole stays the same.
For students who are ready for an additional challenge, you can extend this routine to combinations of 20. The materials and directions stay the same, but the numbers change!
Connecting cubes are another simple way to help students see the different combinations that make 10. As students build towers for 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, and so on, they begin to notice a stair-step pattern.
This is a great opportunity to explore how the parts change while the whole remains 10. As one tower grows by one cube, the other gets smaller by one. But together? They still make 10!
I love asking students, “What do you notice about the towers?” and “What do you think the next combination will look like?” These conversations help students begin to recognize patterns and predict combinations rather than counting every cube individually.
A rekenrek, or bead rack, is another simple tool for helping students visualize combinations to 10. The groups of five beads make it easier for students to see numbers as parts rather than counting each bead individually.
Start with 10 beads on one side of the rack. Ask students to move 7 beads to the other side. How many beads are left? How do they know? Students can see that 7 and 3 make 10, and moving the beads doesn’t change the total.
As students become more comfortable, encourage them to predict how many beads will remain before moving them. It’s a simple way to move from building combinations to beginning to know them!
I made my own bead racks using inexpensive materials, and they were a great tool for students to use at school and at home. You can find my directions for making your own bead racks here.
Once we’ve spent time building combinations to 10 with counters, cubes, and bead racks, I love giving students another way to practice!
Our Making 10 Craftivity gives students a chance to work with familiar number combinations in a different format. It’s hands-on, and it gives me an opportunity to see which students are beginning to recognize combinations to 10 and who still needs concrete materials or a little extra support.
As students work, I’m listening for how they’re figuring out the missing part. Are they counting each time? Using a combination they already know? Noticing a pattern?
Those little observations tell me so much about what students understand and what they need next.
Waiting for the bathroom? Have a few extra minutes in the hallway? Those little pockets of time are perfect for practicing combinations to 10!
The Making 10 Hand Game is one of my favorite no-prep math routines. Students use their fingers to show different combinations that make 5 or 10. No materials, no copies, and no need to squeeze another activity into your math block.
Start with combinations to 5 if students are still building their understanding of parts and wholes. As they become more comfortable, move to combinations to 10.
And don’t be afraid of students using their fingers! Fingers are a fantastic math tool. We’re helping students move from counting each finger individually toward recognizing groups of five and using combinations they already know.
It’s a simple way to make those minutes of waiting a little more meaningful, without adding one more thing to your day.
One of my go-to picture books for exploring combinations to 10 is Ten Flashing Fireflies!
In this beautifully illustrated story, two friends collect fireflies on a summer night. Each time a firefly goes into their jar (shown on the left side of the page), there’s one less firefly in the sky (shown on the right).
I love how clearly students can see the two parts of 10 changing throughout the story. One firefly in the jar means nine in the sky. Two in the jar means eight in the sky. And together, there are always 10!
It’s a perfect opportunity to explore related combinations, like 1 and 9 or 9 and 1, and introduce the commutative property (our flip-flip facts!).
In small groups, I also love having students use ten frames to model what’s happening in the story. As we read, students can move counters to represent the fireflies in the jar and the sky. It’s such a simple way to connect a great read-aloud with meaningful math practice!
In math centers, we pulled out the plastic links and explored combinations to 10, 15, and 20, depending on the math group.
I love this center because it’s so easy to differentiate! Students can build a chain of 10 links, break it into two parts, and then find another way to make 10. Students who are ready for larger numbers can do the exact same activity with 15 or 20 links.
There’s something powerful about giving students time to play with numbers. As they connect, separate, and rearrange the links, they’re seeing that a number can be broken apart in lots of different ways.
Simple materials, very little prep, and lots of opportunities to build number sense!
Using ten-frame playing cards, we also love playing Making 10 Go Fish!
Two math groups play together (four students total), and the game works just like traditional Go Fish. The one extra rule? When students make a match, they have to say the complete number statement: “4 and 6 make 10!”
It’s a small addition, but an important one. We want students talking about the numbers they’re working with, not just collecting matching cards. Saying the combinations aloud gives students another opportunity to connect what they see with what they know.
For students who are still working on combinations to 10, I keep a ten-frame and counters nearby. They can build the combinations as they play, giving them the support they need to participate alongside their classmates.
4 in a Row is one of those simple, beginning-of-the-year math centers that students can return to again and again! It’s easy to differentiate, with options for working on sums to 5, 10, and 20.
We originally played with number cards featuring dot patterns, ten frames, and number words. Then I snagged a set of ten-frame dice, and I was hooked! 🎲
I love that students can practice recognizing quantities in different representations while working with a partner. And because the game can be played with different number ranges, it’s easy to adjust the challenge without teaching an entirely new center.
Have a Connect 4 game tucked away in a closet? Pull it out! 😊
By writing numbers on the red and yellow game pieces, you can turn a regular Connect 4 game into a simple, differentiated math center. It’s an easy way to give students more practice with number combinations without introducing another set of materials or complicated directions.
And the best part? You can grab the visual directions and setup instructions for FREE in my Connect 4 Math Center blog post!
Annie and Moby on BrainPOP Jr. also have a great video for helping students notice patterns in combinations to 10! It’s another way for students to see how numbers work together, especially when they’re just beginning to recognize these relationships.
love sharing app recommendations with families, especially when they connect to what we’re learning in math!
These making 10 apps give students another way to practice combinations to 10, with many offering additional challenges for students who are ready to work beyond ten.
I’ve rounded up some of my favorites in this Making 10 Apps blog post!
Ten is such an important benchmark for young mathematicians! And the more opportunities students have to see, build, break apart, and play with 10, the more familiar those number relationships become.
From Shake and Spill to math centers and partner games, we don’t need a brand-new activity every day. We need meaningful opportunities for students to revisit these combinations, notice patterns, and begin using what they know with confidence.
If you’re looking for ready-to-use activities, my Making 10 Mini-Lessons and Math Centers bring these routines together with hands-on games and practice opportunities for your classroom.
Structure first. Confidence follows. 💙
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Join me for a hands-on workshop exploring what to model, which questions to ask, and how to respond when students get stuck using ten to add and subtract.
Includes a printable Teacher Toolkit, ready-to-use Number Talks, and the workshop recording.
6 Responses
My students have learning disabilities, and mixing objectives, no matter how narrowly-focused, does not work. I would suggest modifying the lyrics to the "10 Frame Song," so that there are several separate verses, one for each commutative pair of addends. For example, "10 counters on my frame (on my frame), 10 counters on my frame (on my frame). 9 plus one and one plus 9. 10 counters on my frame (on my frame). Then, sing a new verse for 8 plus 2, a new one for 7 plus 3, etc.
love that idea!
this is really very nice post..thanks for sharing
good relationship
Love your ideas, I’m going to borrow some for my class this week! Thanks for your creativity! Keeping this veteran teacher in the game!
Thank you for this post confirming how important mastering 10 is for future math tasks. What was the assessment you used to determine your student’s understanding of ten?
I’ve been spending a lot of time on your page. Your blog is giving me so much confidence in my new position as a math interventionist. Thank you for sharing all of your resources and being so thorough.