HSG Ten Frames Ebook

This 28 page parent teaching guide with interactive activities for kids is based on activities using ten frames; it takes students from beginning math (counting and understanding numbers) through adding and subtracting double digit numbers. You can see the product and full detail in my store here (but you can get yours for free through the sign-up form at the end of this post).

IMPORTANT NOTE: This offer is only for Homeschool Giveaway Subscribers. Please do not share this page. Thank you!

Overview of the ebook:

This ebook is made of 4 lessons. Each lesson includes full explanations for teachers and activities for students including printable journal pages for practice and learning games; the entire unit is designed to help foster number sense, mathematical communication, and discovery-based learning.

Brief summary of each section

Lesson 1 begins with number recognition from 1 – 10 focusing on building numbers in groups of 5. It then moves up to recognizing and building numbers up through 20.

Lesson 2 focuses on addition up through 20 with an emphasis on combinations of numbers that add to 10 and their associated fact families.

Lesson 3 goes on to more complex addition (up through 100) and teaches students to break numbers up into groups of 10’s and 5’s and re-arrange as needed to come up with the answer. The strategies explained here help to build a strong conceptual understanding of addition rather than emphasizing an algorithm (set of steps to follow).

Lesson 4 teaches students to subtract numbers (up through 100) by visualizing them in groups of 10’s (with sub-groups of 5’s).

Brief introduction to ten frames: 

Since our number system is built around groups of 10, it is essential for kids to learn from a young age how to identify and manipulate numbers within our base 10 system.

Manipulatives: Hands-on Math

To provide a strong foundation for fluency in the language of numbers, students should be introduced first to visual representations of numbers.

If they can recognize amounts at a glance based on groupings of 5’s and 10’s, this will pave a strong foundation for them to become comfortable and confident working with numbers.

Once they can comfortably understand and explain how all single digit numbers relate to 10, it’s a simple matter to start adding or subtracting double digit numbers by re-arranging numbers into 10’s, 5’s, and 1’s.

Ten frame activities are a great way to introduce these topics. The activities in this lesson pack describe fun (and unconventional!) ways to use ten frames.

Ten Frames pave the way for mental math strategies

The added value of breaking groups of 10 into sub-groups of 5’s makes this a viable strategy for mental math, even with large numbers.

Students can instantly imagine “glance-able” amounts of objects, break apart and re-arrange numbers, and recombine the “leftovers” to figure out the final answer.

And again, since amounts of objects up to 5 can be known at a glance, without counting, and since all numbers can be broken up into 10’s and 1’s (bigger numbers into 100’s and 10’s and 1’s, etc.), students can take this one step further (instantly, in their head) to see numbers as combinations of 5’s within groups of 10’s and solve larger addition or subtraction problems.

 Although the process explained in the following lessons may look elaborate and lengthy, once students have solidly grasped these fundamental concepts they will be able to do higher level math problems nearly instantly in their heads.

Learning math in this way will help them become confident and happy learners.

Mastery-based learning (not just doing work and moving on)

The steps explained in this lesson pack are designed to lead children at their own pace to a solid understanding of the number system; each step builds on previous concepts so that children can extend ideas they’ve mastered to new situations without ever being forced into frightening new territory where they find themselves ill-equipped to answer questions.

Note: Think of ten frames as a language; if this is a second language for you, it may not be the fastest way for you to speak or think, but if you can teach your children this language of math (based on groups of 5’s and 10’s) from the beginning, it will become their default language and they will think of numbers in groups of 10’s that can be re-arranged as needed to help solve almost any problem.

Let’s start at the very beginning …

This method is best when taught to young students who are just encountering the number system, because it presents numbers in an organized, mentally “re-arrangeable” way that will help them intuitively understand how addition and subtraction with large numbers works.

Fills in the “gaps”

If older students have tried to learn certain algorithms but become frustrated because they don’t understand why a certain process works, or they can’t remember all the steps needed for things like re-grouping or borrowing, this method can be used to help them go back to the basics and lay a solid foundation. Then, based on a stronger sense of how numbers and operations work, they can advance quickly to more complex topics.

You can read more about our experience working through these activities at home in this article:

New Math Course for Kids

I am currently developing a complete Math course for kids based on the lessons in this book. I’ve expanded the content and added in several interactive elements to help students deeply engage with the content and become confident in their own Math skills.

The course includes:

• “Bite-sized” video tutorials to introduce each concept
• Hands-on activities, including:
  • cut-and-paste printables
  • graphic organizers and mini-books
  • paper ten frames and counting items to use with the lessons
• Games! (to provide tons of skill practice without feeling like a worksheet or flashcards)
• Online quizzes
• Skills checklist (to make sure students are learning to mastery, not just going through the activities)
• Suggested Pacing Guide (breaking the entire course into 10-20 minute sessions with built-in review each day)
• and more!

Introductory pricing for the course

I am finishing the course now but the first few lessons are already available. I will be pre-selling the course with access to the current lessons for an introductory price, and all future lessons will be added in automatically as I release them.

FREE ebook, more samples, and a coupon!

If you are interested in this offer, you can sign up below to claim your free ebook, and I will be in contact shortly with more freebies and samples from R.E.A.L.-World Learners, as well as a coupon code for the introductory price offer on the math course: Developing Number Sense using Ten Frames.

If you are in the EU …

NOTE: If you are in the EU and would like to receive this free ebook but not subscribe to my mailing list, as per GDPR, just send me an email at sandra@realworldlearners.com and I will get that to you.

Alternatively, you are always welcome to sign up and then unsubscribe at any time if the additional freebies, blog posts, and discounts on new products do not provide ongoing value to your life. 🙂