Using Tens Frames for "Teen" Numbers
The purpose of this unit is to recognise and understand teen numbers. This is an essential piece of knowledge for the part-whole strategy of bridging to ten.
recognise and understand “teen” numbers, 11-20.
Number FrameworkStage
- Advanced Counting (Counting on)
Pre-requisite knowledge / skills: form addition facts to ten using dot patterns on a quinary frame
Teacher hold up a full tens frame and asks
How many have I got?
- Teacher holds up another card, alongside the full tens frame, and asks
How many have I got now? - Repeat several times ensuring that the numbers 11 – 20 have been covered.
- Teacher repeats above but this time shows the students the full tens frame has been turned over so the dots are not visible.
- Teacher models 11 on the tens frame.
Let’s look at the number 11. How would we write that?
Records: 10 + 1 = 11 then works through 10 + 2 = 12, 10 + 3 = 13 etc similarly to show the pattern. - Teacher asks students to solve problems such as 10 + 4, 10 + 9 with a focus on quick recall.
Extension Activities
Teacher models one of the teen numbers on a tens frame. Students record the written form “15” while one student uses the expanded numeral cards to record the number. Once the recording is finished teacher asks:
What does the 1 mean? [1 group of ten]
What does the 5 mean? [ 5 ones]
Teacher adds further blank tens frames to the model, for example 21: two tens and a 1.
Note: the context of a train with one full carriage and one partly full carriage can be used in this teaching sequence
Similar Resources
Facts to 10
Count a set of objects in the range 1–10.
Instantly recognise patterns to 10, including finger and tens frame patterns.
Instantly recognise patterns to 10 including doubles.
Recall the facts up to 10, and the teen facts.
Ten Sweets Per Packet
Solve addition and subtraction problems with decade numbers by counting tens in their heads.
Recall the facts up to 10, and the teen facts.
Recall the number of 10s within decades and decades that add to 100.
Teens and Fingers
Solve subtraction problems from 20 by separating sets and counting all the objects.
Solve subtraction problems from 20 by counting all the objects in their head.
Recall the facts up to 10, and the teen facts.
Walk the Bridge
Count a set of objects in the range 1–10.
Say the forwards and backwards number word sequences in the range 0–10.
Say the forwards and backwards number word sequences in the range 0–20.
Say the forwards and backwards number word sequences in the range 0–20, at least.
Recall the facts up to 10, and the teen facts.
Dice Groups
Count a set of objects in the range 1–10.
Recall facts within 5, and doubles to 10.
Recall the facts up to 10, and the teen facts.
