Making 10 to Add: Strategy Development

Free sample questions, a clear explanation, and 5 practice skills with an AI tutor that guides without giving the answer away.

Making 10: Your Secret Math Shortcut!

Hi, Math Explorer! Imagine you're packing your toys into special boxes that can hold exactly 10 toys each. If you have 8 toys in one box and 5 more on the floor, what's the fastest way to pack them all?

You'd probably fill up the first box first, right? You'd take 2 toys from the floor to make a full box of 10. Then you'd see you have 3 toys left over. One full box (10) and 3 extra toys make 13!

That's exactly how our Making 10 strategy works! We make a friendly group of 10 first to make adding so much easier.

Let's See It in Action!

Let's solve 8 + 5 using ten frames.

The first ten frame with 8 red dots is so close to being full! It only needs 2 more dots. Let's borrow 2 blue dots from our group of 5 and move them over.

Now, the first frame is a full 10! And how many blue dots are left? We had 5 and moved 2, so there are 3 left over. Our new, super-easy problem is 10 + 3, which equals 13!

Key Takeaway: Your 'Make 10' Steps!

Spot the bigger number in your problem (like the 9 in 9 + 4).
Ask: "What friend does 9 need to make 10?" (It needs a 1!)
Break apart the other number (4) to find that friend. (4 is 1 and 3).
Make 10 (9 + 1) and then add what's left over (3).
Solve! 10 + 3 = 13. You're a math wizard!

Why is this a Super Strategy?

Is it faster to move a couple of dots to make a friendly 10, or to count every single dot one by one? Making 10 is way faster! It stops us from making silly counting mistakes and helps our brain solve problems in a snap. Keep practicing, and you'll be making 10 like a true math superstar!

Sample questions

1. I have 1 red apple. How many more green apples do I need to have 10 apples in total?

○ 1

○ 8

○ 10

✓ 9

Answer: 9 — Start with 1. Count up until you reach 10. How many numbers did you count?

2. Which number goes with 5 to make 10?

✓ 5

○ 10

○ 4

○ 6

Answer: 5 — You can use your fingers! Show 5 fingers. How many more fingers do you need to show 10?

3. 7 + ? = 10. What is the missing number?

○ 7

○ 2

✓ 3

○ 10

Answer: 3 — Start at 7 and count up to 10. How many steps did you take?

Skills in this topic

Identify pairs of numbers that make 10 (number bonds to 10) fluently.
Use ten frames to visualize 'making 10' when adding two single-digit numbers (e.g., 8 + 5).
Decompose one addend to make 10 with the other addend (e.g., 8 + 5 = 8 + 2 + 3 = 10 + 3).
Add numbers within 20 using the 'making 10' strategy (pictorial/abstract).
Justify the efficiency of the 'making 10' strategy for addition problems compared to counting all.

Practice 50+ questions on this topic

Unlimited interactive practice, progress tracking, and Nova — your AI tutor. Free to start.

Start learning free →