Mathematics · Kindergarten · Building and Breaking Numbers · Weeks 10-18

Making 10

Finding the number that makes 10 when added to any given number from 1 to 9.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.4

About This Topic

Making 10 is one of the most powerful mental math strategies in elementary school, and its foundation is laid in Kindergarten through CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.4. Students find the number that makes 10 when added to any given number from 1 to 9 (for example, 6 + ? = 10). This is not just a fact to memorize but a structural understanding of how numbers relate to the number 10.

Ten holds a special place in our number system because it is the base of our entire positional notation system. Students who have strong fluency with pairs that make 10 will use those pairs when adding larger numbers in later grades. Adding 8 + 6, for example, becomes much easier when a student thinks '8 + 2 = 10, and 4 more is 14' rather than counting up from 8. This strategy becomes a key addition tool in first grade.

Active learning is essential for this topic because ten-frame fluency develops through repeated visual and tactile engagement, not through memorization drills. Partner games, physical ten-frame building, and structured discussion about strategies for finding ten-pairs build both speed and conceptual understanding simultaneously.

Key Questions

1. Why is the number ten so important in our counting system?
2. How can we use a ten-frame to see a number without counting by ones?
3. Explain how knowing pairs that make 10 helps with addition.

Learning Objectives

• Identify pairs of numbers that sum to 10 using a ten-frame.
• Calculate the missing addend needed to reach 10 for any number from 1 to 9.
• Explain how composing and decomposing numbers to make 10 aids in addition strategies.
• Demonstrate understanding of the base-ten number system by relating number composition to the quantity ten.

Before You Start

Counting to 10

Why: Students must be able to count reliably to 10 before they can explore the composition of 10.

One-to-One Correspondence

Why: Students need to be able to match one object to one number word to accurately represent quantities on a ten-frame.

Key Vocabulary

Ten-frame	A rectangular frame with 10 spaces, typically in two rows of five, used to help visualize numbers up to 10.
Compose	To put numbers together to make a larger number, like putting 6 and 4 together to make 10.
Decompose	To break a number apart into smaller numbers, like breaking 10 into 7 and 3.
Addend	A number that is added to another number in an addition problem.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Students think making 10 only works for combinations where both parts are shown simultaneously, not understanding that 10 = n + (10 minus n) always holds regardless of what n is.

What to Teach Instead

Use the ten-frame consistently to show that 10 can be broken in exactly nine different ways (1+9 through 9+1) and that all are equally valid. Systematic partner games that work through all pairs build this sense of completeness and inevitability.

Common Misconception

Students confuse the concept of making 10 with counting to 10, not recognizing the relationship as an additive missing-partner problem.

What to Teach Instead

Always frame making-10 activities as missing-addend problems: 'I have 7. How many more to get to 10?' This language connects the visual ten-frame to an additive structure and prevents students from treating it as a counting exercise.

Common Misconception

Students can find ten-partners with manipulatives but cannot connect the physical experience to the symbolic equation (7 + 3 = 10).

What to Teach Instead

After every concrete activity, record the equation that matches the physical model. This bridge from object to symbol should be practiced consistently so the symbolic representation gains meaning from the physical experience rather than existing as a separate task.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: Ten-Frame Stories

Show a ten-frame with some dots filled in and ask 'how many more do we need to fill it up?' Students tell a partner the missing number and explain how they know, then share strategies as a class. Rotate through different starting amounts from 1 to 9 across the session.

15 min·Pairs

Stations Rotation: Ten Buddy Hunt

At each station, students draw a card (1 through 9) and find the 'ten buddy' that completes 10. Use two-color linking cubes to build each pair physically, then record both addends and the total in a T-chart. Students verify that all nine pairs produce 10.

25 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Ten-Frame Toss

In pairs, students toss 10 two-sided counters onto a ten-frame mat. Count red and yellow, then determine the 'missing' number needed to reach 10. Partners record each combination discovered and compare T-charts at the end to see if the class found all ten possible pairs.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Construction workers use groups of ten when organizing tools or materials, for example, arranging 10 bricks in a stack or placing 10 screws in a tray.
• Grocery store cashiers often count items in groups of ten to quickly tally a customer's purchases, especially when items are bagged in bundles of two or five.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give each student a card with a number from 1 to 9. Ask them to draw that many dots on one side of a ten-frame and then draw dots on the other side to fill the frame, writing the number sentence (e.g., 7 + 3 = 10).

Quick Check

Hold up a ten-frame with some dots filled and some empty. Ask students to tell you how many dots are there and how many more are needed to make 10. Record their responses for quick review.

Discussion Prompt

Present a problem like 'Sarah has 8 stickers. How many more stickers does she need to have 10 stickers?' Ask students to explain how they figured out the answer, encouraging them to use the term 'pairs that make 10'.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is making 10 important in kindergarten?

The number 10 is the base of our number system, so pairs that make 10 are foundational tools for mental math. Students who know that 7 + 3 = 10 can use that fact to add 7 + 4 in first grade (7 + 3 = 10, one more is 11) without counting from scratch. Building these pairs in Kindergarten creates a mental math foundation that grows in value across every subsequent grade.

What does K.OA.A.4 ask students to do?

This standard requires students to find the number that makes 10 when added to any given number from 1 to 9. Given the number 4, students should know that 6 more makes 10. Students may use objects, drawings, or mental reasoning. The standard does not require memorized recall, only the ability to find the missing partner reliably.

How can I use a ten-frame to teach making 10?

Fill some squares of a ten-frame and ask students how many squares are empty. The empty squares represent the missing addend. After working with physical counters, draw the ten-frame and have students shade in the known amount, then count the remaining spaces. This visual model makes the structure of 10 concrete before students work with equations alone.

How does active learning help students remember ten-pairs?

Rote memorization of ten-pairs fades quickly without structural understanding. Active approaches like two-colored counter games and ten-frame building let students discover each pair through direct experience and explain why it works. When students predict and verify ('I think 5 and 5 make 10 because the frame would be exactly half full'), the fact becomes personally meaningful and far more durable than a memorized response.