How to Have Fun Learning the Make Ten Facts

How many repetitions does it take to develop automaticity with a new skill? And the answer is… it depends on the child. A reasonable range to consider is 7 to 25 repetitions. My students certainly needed numerous opportunities to learn the Make Ten addition facts.

Teaching these number combinations that equal ten was one of my biggest challenges. After participating in a variety of activities, my students would develop conceptual understanding and automaticity with these equations. Then, I would take the time to integrate learning this strategy with previously taught addition fact strategies. And we would move on to learning the next strategy.

But soon enough, I would discover just how elusive their retention was of those Make Ten facts! Sometimes, the sufficient number of repetitions needed to ensure mastery is simply way more than we think it should be.

Here’s a free St. Patrick’s Day game to help you give your students another opportunity to practice (and retain) these oh so important facts.

Why Try Give and Take Make Ten

It’s a game!

It is perfect for kindergarten, first, and second grades.

It provides built-in concrete and visual support for learning, reviewing, and retaining the Make Ten number combinations.

Knowing these number combinations with automaticity makes adding 7, 8, or 9 to a number that much easier and builds a foundation for adding larger numbers. Fluency with the Make Ten facts is essential for understanding and applying the strategy of using or making a ten to add.

And it’s free!

How to Play

This is a small group game. You need ten counters for each player. Use gold coins to increase student engagement. Place all the counters in the middle of the group in a container that enhances the theme.

Each player places four counters on their ten frame and writes the corresponding Make Ten equation (4 + 6 = 10; four plus how many more makes ten) on their recording sheet. Players take turns rolling the die, matching the pips to the directions sheet, and following the directions to give or take counters.