Made with the help of AI from public curriculum standards, then checked. Mistakes can slip through, so please look it over before use. Found one? Tell us and we will fix it.
What's on the worksheet
Count the dots. Write how many more make 10.
Complete each pair that makes 10.
Make a ten to add. Example: 9 + 3 = 10 + 2 = 12.
Write all the pairs of numbers that make 10. ★
Skills practiced
Making 10 is one of the most useful number facts in first grade. On this page your child counts dots on ten frames and finds the missing part, fills in pairs that make 10, and then uses those pairs as a strategy: turning 9 + 4 into 10 + 3. Breaking a number apart to complete a ten is how many children learn to add within 20 without counting on their fingers, and it prepares them for adding larger numbers in second grade.
Common Core 1.OA.C.6: Adding and subtracting up to 20, with quick recall of facts to 10
Common Core 1.OA.B.3: Using tricks like switching the order or making ten to add more easily
Your child reads the instruction out loud and explains in their own words what to do.
Work through the tasks in order: the first ones are easier and warm up for the next.
The task with a star is optional, for early finishers.
Check together with the answer key and redo only what was wrong.
Tips for parents and teachers
Say the pairs out loud like a chant: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7. Children who know them by heart find the make a ten step much easier. In part 3, the usual mistake is moving the wrong amount, for example writing 9 + 4 = 10 + 4. Ask: how many did the 9 need to become 10, and how many are left in the 4? Drawing the dots on a ten frame settles it.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Skip part 3 for now and practice pairs that make 10 with ten small objects and a cup: hide some under the cup and ask how many are hiding.
Harder: Give your child sums like 8 + 7 or 9 + 8 and ask them to explain out loud how they made a ten, or try making 20 with pairs like 13 + 7.
It is made for 1st Grade (ages 6-7). The level is ★★ medium, so it suits children who already know the basics.
How long does it take?
About 20 minutes, about the length of a short homework task or a warm-up at the start of a lesson.
Where is the answer key?
On the second page of the PDF and on this page under Show the answer key. To print for a whole class, print only the first page of the PDF.
Which standard does it practice?
Common Core 1.OA.C.6 (adding and subtracting up to 20, with quick recall of facts to 10); Common Core 1.OA.B.3 (using tricks like switching the order or making ten to add more easily).
Can I use it in my classroom?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for your own children or students. Please do not resell it or upload it to other websites.
Need a fresh version?The worksheet maker builds new pages with different numbers, mazes and tracing rows, plus versions A, B and C for a class.Open the worksheet maker
