Math Core

Ten is a very special number. You have 10 fingers! Knowing which numbers go together to make 10 will help you add fast later on.

Fill the ten frame

A ten frame has 10 boxes: two rows of 5. Here 7 boxes are full. How many more fill it?

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There are 3 empty boxes. So 7 and 3 make 10: $7 + 3 = 10$ .

Pairs that make 10

\begin{aligned} 1 + 9 &= 10 \\ 2 + 8 &= 10 \\ 3 + 7 &= 10 \\ 4 + 6 &= 10 \\ 5 + 5 &= 10 \end{aligned}

You can flip each one too: $9 + 1 = 10$ , $8 + 2 = 10$ , and so on. And $10 + 0 = 10$ .

Hold up some fingers. The fingers that are down are how many more you need to make 10.

Worked example: Fingers up and down

Hold up 6 fingers. How many fingers are down?

Count the fingers that are down: one, two, three, four. So 6 and 4 make 10.

Worked example: Fill the frame

How many more make 10?

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There are 9 full boxes and 1 empty box. So 9 and 1 make 10.

Worked example: Start from ten

8 plus what makes 10?

Start at 8. Count on until you say ten: nine, ten. That is 2 more. So $8 + 2 = 10$ .

Common mistake

Count the empty boxes to find how many more. Don't count the full ones again.

Practice 1

How many more make 10?

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Type a number.

Practice 2

How many more make 10?

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Type a number.

Practice 3

Hold up 4 fingers. How many fingers are down?

Type a number.

Practice 4

9 plus what makes 10?

Type a number.

Practice 5

3 plus what makes 10?

Type a number.

Practice 6

Which pair makes 10?

Practice 7

What is $0 + 10$ ?

Type a number.