As a teacher, you will be aware of the importance of helping students to develop important math skills such as addition. Making ten is a vital concept for students to learn because it helps them develop their mental math skills and understanding of fundamental math concepts.

Here are some easy and practical activities that teachers can use to help students to complete the addition sentence make ten.

1. Making Ten with Manipulatives

One of the best ways to help students understand the concept of making ten is by using tangible objects such as blocks or counting sticks. Provide students with a set of objects and ask them to find two objects that, when added together, make ten.

Once they find a pair, they should lay them out on a mat or table in front of them. Then, ask students to count how many objects they have left and write down the combination of addition facts that make ten using those objects.

2. Make Ten Number Bonds

Number bond activities encourage students to see addition as two numbers working together, rather than two disconnected numbers. In a Make Ten number bond activity, students are given a number and are asked to fill in the bond so that both parts add up to ten.

For example,

_”If one part of the number is 8, what is the other part of the bond to make ten?_
_”8 + __ = 10″_
_The answer is 2._

Students can use manipulatives, such as counters or cubes, to show their understanding of the bond.

3. Game-Based Making Ten Activities

Playing games is an excellent way to teach fundamental maths concepts to students. For instance, teachers can divide students into pairs to play making ten dice games. In this game, students take turns rolling two dice.

Once they have the numbers, they will add the numbers together and calculate what they need to add to make ten. If a student can’t make ten, they use their partner’s roll, and the first person to complete ten becomes the winner of the game.

4. Making Ten Puzzles and Worksheets

Making ten puzzles and worksheets are helpful to use as resources to aid students in progressing from understanding making ten with objects to solving problems using symbols. These worksheets can be completed independently or in groups.

Students match the puzzles or complete the sums to produce different combinations of numbers that add up to ten, for example, 7 + ___ = 10.

In conclusion, teaching students to complete the addition sentence make ten is a vital math skill that helps students to become confident with numbers and mental math. Teachers can incorporate engaging activities such as making ten manipulatives, number bond activities, game-based activities, and making ten puzzles and worksheets, into their lesson plans to support their students’ learning journey. With regular practice of these activities, students will develop the ability to recognize complementary numbers that make ten and simplify more challenging calculations.