10 Reasons for Ten Frames with Toddlers and Early Elementary
There are many reasons why using ten frames for early math students is a good idea - here are my top 10.
Ten Frames offer early exposure to our base-ten number system. Since a ten frame is a two-by-five rectangular frame into which counters or other objects are placed to demonstrate numbers less than or equal to 10, young learners get the chance to see, feel, and play with ten.
2. Ten frames help with developing strong number sense. Number sense is having good intuition about numbers and their relationships. This develops gradually as children explore numbers and have experiences with them. Number sense is something that can’t explicitly be taught, but it can be developed with practice over time. The more kids get to play with and “see” numbers, the stronger their number sense becomes.
3. A fancy math term educators use is subitizing. Subitizing is being able to instantly tell you ‘how many’ something is without counting. For example, a child who can subitize can roll a dice and tell you what they rolled without counting every dot. Like number sense, this skill is developed over time by practicing it using games and ten frames
4. Ten frames help kids with decomposing and composing numbers. Decomposing and composing means being able to break apart numbers and then put them back together. Other people might call this "part, part, whole,” or the understanding that you have a whole amount and you can break it into its parts. The ability to compose and decompose numbers makes math problems easier to manipulate and solve by breaking them into manageable parts to better view their relationships.
5. Using ten frames offers visual support for early addition. If I show a student a ten frame with 6 counters in it and ask “how many more are needed to make ten?” a student with subitizing skills can quickly see that four more are needed to make ten. If a child cannot yet subitize, they can count the empty squares to arrive at the correct answer.
6. A similar approach can be taken with subtraction. I can show a child a ten frame with 6 objects and ask “how many do I need to take away so that I only have 4 objects?” Ten frames off fantastic visual and hands-on support for arriving at the correct answer.
7. Once children get proficient with ten frames, it is not a huge leap to larger numbers. A child who can "see" 10 as being made up of a 7 and a 3, can then start to see 100 as a 70 and a 30. It is imperative children make these connections, and using ten frames really helps them do this.
8. Ten frames offer plenty of opportunities to talk about math. Asking “how do you know” or “why did you…” sparks a conversation about the child’s thinking. This conversation allows you to gain insight into their understanding and current strategy and gives the student the chance to articulate their thinking helping them to make sense of math. Here is a great resource combining Ten Frames and Number Talks
9. Ten frames don’t have to come from a worksheet. Ten frames are adaptive and versatile; you can draw them outside with sidewalk chalk, use masking tape on the floor, or cut down an egg carton. Offering a variety of different ways for kids to see and play with numbers only increases their chances for success in later years.
Ten frames can be fun. Playing games is one of the best ways to learning about and practice new topics! Games like Ten Fish offer families an opportunity to unplug and play together. Each card in the Ten Fish deck includes a ten frame to support young learners. Older children and even adults have fun collecting cards to make tens. Playing games to improve math skills reduces math anxiety and reinforces to kids that learning is fun.
🐠 Unveil the Splashy Excitement: Explore Deeper into the 'Ten Fish' Game!
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