Using Tens Frames to Build the Addition and Subtraction Facts to Ten

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Purpose

The purpose of this unit is to build and consolidate the addition and subtraction facts to ten.  These addition and subtraction facts are building blocks for part-whole thinking.

Achievement Objectives
NA1-3: Know groupings with five, within ten, and with ten.
Specific Learning Outcomes

form addition facts to ten using dot patterns on a quinary frame.

form subtraction facts to ten using dot patterns on a quinary frame.

Description of Mathematics

Number Framework Stage

  • Advanced Counting (Counting-On).

Pre-requisite knowledge / skills: recognising and describing patterns to ten on pre-made cards

Required Resource Materials

Quinary Tens Frames

Activity

A: Focus on Addition

Activity

  1. Teacher holds up a tens frame and asks
    Tell me the number pattern?
    How many gaps are there?
    Teacher then states the appropriate number sentence e.g. 6 and 4 is 10.

  2. Repeat several times with all cards to build facts to ten.

  3. Teacher holds up a tens frame and asks
    Who can tell me the number sentence for this card?

  4. Repeat several times, ensuring that all cards (0-10) have been covered up to this point.

  5. Teacher models the recording of the number sentences as “6 and 4 is ten”, then “6+4=10”

B: Focus on Subtraction

Activity

  1. Teacher explains to students that today
    We are using the cards to work on take-away equations starting with ten.

  2. Teacher holds up a tens frame and asks
    How many dots could I fit on this frame?
    How many have gone?
    How many are left?
    Who can give me a number sentence for this card?

  3. If necessary the teacher gives the appropriate number sentence e.g. 10 take away 6 is 4

  4. Repeat several times with all cards to build facts to ten.

  5. Teacher gives the number sentence and asks the students to find the appropriate card. For example:
    I had ten dots and I took away 6, how many do I have left?  Can you find the card for that? How many are left?

  6. Teacher models the recording of the number sentences as “10 take away 6 is 4”, then “10 - 6 = 4”.

Broadening activities:

 

  • Teacher demonstrates that the facts can be placed in a pattern i.e. 0 + 10 = 10, 1 + 9 = 10, 2 + 8 =10.  After the teacher has given some of the pattern students can work independently to find the rest.
  • Teacher gives students the number sentence and they find the matching dot pattern.

Independent Activities

 

  • Students make their own dot patterns using blank tens frames and counters.  They record these using + /or - and =.  (Two sided counters ideal for this activity.)
  • Students work on sheets of empty tens frames to fill in dots and record the corresponding number sentence.
  • Given one card students record either two complimentary number sentences or the entire family of facts.
  • Students match tens frames to appropriate number sentence on cards.

Notes:
There are many ways to record the work being done and what is appropriate depends on the students in the group.  Options include:

 

  • Teacher records
  • Draw a picture
  • Number story e.g. 3 and 4 make 7
  • Number sentence or equation e.g. 3 + 4 = 7
  • Use pre-made equations and match these to the appropriate card
  • Use digit labels
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Level One