Ten Frame For Preschoolers To Improve Math Skills

If you’re the parent of a child who is learning early math concepts, you may have come across one such important concept for them called 10 frame (ten frame). The term might sound new to you, but we are here to explain what the ten frame in maths means and why it’s so valuable for early learners. So, encourage your child to start learning this concept and watch them mastering the other essential mathematical skills like ordering, subitising, addition and more with much more ease.

Let’s get cracking!

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

What Is A Ten Frame?

Ten frame is one of the most useful tools to inculcate a sense of numbers in kids. It’s a rectangular frame with ten individual boxes, with five boxes on top and five on the bottom.

Numbers up to 10 can be shown in a ten frame by putting one dot in one box. For example, this ten frame shows how to represent the numbers from one to ten.

The dots in a ten frame can occupy any of the ten boxes. However, the top row is filled first (from left to right), followed by the bottom row.

What Is The Importance Of Using Ten Frame?

Here are some reasons that will help you understand the importance of using a ten frame:

• It helps children develop an essential skill of number sense and teaches them to subitise.
• It helps children with the visual representation of numbers and provides them an experience of working with numbers. It basically shows them the value of numbers.
• It helps children with composing and decomposing numbers.
• It helps teach children addition and subtraction.
• It helps children gain confidence as they work flexibly with numbers up to ten.
• It helps children learn how the place value system works.

What Will Your Child Learn From Ten Frame?

Ten frame is an excellent learning tool for kids. In addition to teaching fundamentals of addition and subtraction to preschoolers, the ten frame method is a simple and fun way for kids who are just starting to get acquainted with numbers. The more they will encounter numbers, the more their number sense will sharpen.

How To Introduce Ten Frame To Your Child?

You can introduce ten frames to your little one with simple counting activities from numbers 1 to 5. During these early learning lessons, ask your child to share their ten frame boards and explain how they know they place the correct number. Slowly, your child will start making connections between counting the ten frames, quantities, and numerals. This lays a foundation for more complex math concepts that they will be studying later in higher classes.

Tip: Remember to note down your child’s explanation and how they are using the ten frame. This data will help you track your child’s progress.

Simple Ideas To Make Ten Frame

Here are some simple ideas you can use to make ten frames with your child. Let’s read!

• Draw ten frames with a permanent marker on a whiteboard and ask your child to draw pictures in the boxes or write symbols alternatively.
• Create ten laminated frames that children can use with counters or loose parts.
• Make a ten frame on the floor using chalk and make your child practice on it.
• Egg boxes are great for making ten frames. Get an egg box with ten sections, or cut a larger egg box to make ten sections from it.
• On a table, keep ten containers, make them look like ten frame and let your child practice using them.
• You can use ten different colour papers and arrange them together to make them look like a ten frame.
• Stick straws together to make a ten frame.
• Ten plant pots can be arranged in a ten-frame shape and used.
• Building blocks can be used by arranging them in a ten frame shape.
• You can also make a ten frame on the floor using a temporary spray or a tape.

Skills That You Can Teach Your Child Using Ten Frame

Do you know that there is a huge range of skills you can teach your child with the help of a ten frame? Let’s take a look at these essential skills.

1. Counting

Yes, children can learn to count using the ten frame. You can ask your child to roll a dice and show the result on the ten frame.

2. Subitising

Subitising is the knack of being able to see how many of something are present without actually counting the quantity. Ten frame is excellent for learning subitising. Ten frames fill the child’s mind with mental pictures of what numbers look like in different physical forms.

3. Arrays

Children can learn to create different arrays of the same number using ten frames. For example, 3 can be made in multiple different ways on the frame..

4. Ten Frame Addition

Children can learn addition using ten frame. For example, you take two sets of objects and a ten frame. Now ask your child to roll two dice show the result on ten frame, e.g., 3 + 5 = 8. Ask your child to represent it on the ten frame. Similarly, they can learn ten frame subtraction.

5. Pattern

Ten frames offer a framework to build patterns with random objects. For example, a selection of bottle caps and shells, along with a ten frame. Children can explore different types of patterns with this, like a shell, bottle cap, shell, bottle cap, shell…

6. Ordering

Yes. Kids can learn ordering too with the help of ten frame. All your need is some kind of numbers (plastic or wooden numbers) for your child to put in order using the ten frame.

Activities That Will Help Your Child To Learn Ten Frame

The below-mentioned ten frame activities will help your little one to use ten frame, which is an essential mathematical concept.

1. Ten Frame Cookies

On a table, make a ten frame using bowls. Fill each bowl with a cookie. Now ask your child to pick a number between 1 to 10 and spell that number. If your child spells the number correctly, they can pick a cookie from that numbered bowl. Continue playing the game until all the cookie bowls are empty.

Psst.. You can allow your child to eat one cookie as a reward! 🍪

2. Arrange The Numbers

Take any 1 to 10 numbered cards from a deck of cards. Shuffle them and place them faced down on a table, arranged in the ten frame style. Now ask your child to rotate the cards and arrange them in order. This activity will help your child learn order.

3. Hunt In The Nature

Using chalk, make ten frame on the ground. Now ask your child to collect 5 fallen leaves and three small stones. Next, they have to add these together and tell you the answer using the ten frame.

4. Counting With Gems

Make a ten frame on a sheet. Now, give 10 gems to your child and ask them to place them in the ten frame one by one while counting. This activity will be helpful in teaching your child how to count.

5. Guess The Number Of Objects

Make a ten frame on a sheet. Now take 10 quantities of a single object, like 10 toffees. Now pick some toffees randomly and ask your child to guess the number of toffees without counting. You can later ask your child to place them in ten frame. This activity will help your child to learn to subitise.

Now that you have read about some ten frame games for kindergarten kids let’s take a look at tips for using ten frame.

Tips For Using Ten Frames For Kids

• Ensure that you make an engaging ten frame, so your child doesn’t get distracted easily.
• Make your child learn using a lot of natural objects, stones, leaves, etc.
• Teach your child how to first use ten frames, so they have some knowledge of using them.
• Make smaller ten frames for indoor activities and bigger ten frames for outdoor activities.
• To make children develop more mathematical knowledge of different concepts, attempt a range of skills using ten frames.

Ten frame is a fantastic concept for helping your little one to develop a strong sense foundation around numbers. Hope we helped you discover some new and fun ten frame ideas for you to teach your child.

Also Read:

Subtraction for Preschoolers and Children
Before, After And In-Between Numbers for Preschoolers
Missing Numbers for Preschooler and Children