A ten-frame is a rectangle with two rows of five spaces. Filling it gives children a way to see a quantity, count it and notice how many more spaces would make ten. Use the screen activity or a pencil on the printable; no small counters are needed.
Build a ten-frame
Add or remove dots, or choose a number from zero to ten. The picture fills from the top left.
The interactive activity needs JavaScript. Use the downloadable printable pack instead.
Count each dot once
Begin with one, two or three dots. Point to each as you count, then say the total: "One, two, three. There are three dots." Let your child touch the printed dots or point while you say the numbers.
If a dot gets counted twice, slow down and move across the row together. Try a smaller quantity if that feels easier. There is no need to attach an age deadline or race to this activity.
Notice the full row of five
Fill the top row from left to right. Once it is full, there are five dots. Add one dot below it and ask what changed. Some children will count all six; others may begin with five and add one. Both approaches give you something to talk about.
Use the same arrangement for a while so the picture becomes familiar. Ask, "What can you see?" before explaining what you see. The child might notice a gap or a shape that you had not thought to mention.
Look for the spaces as well as the dots
A frame with seven dots has three empty spaces. Say the whole relationship: seven and three make ten. On the worksheet, write the number of dots and the number of spaces.
Start with nine dots if the missing-part question feels abstract; the one empty box is easy to find. Then try eight. Children can count the empty spaces directly rather than needing to subtract in their heads.
Make a number together
Use the Add a dot and Take away a dot buttons, or choose a target number in the tool. Ask your child to build it, count it and describe it. "Show the dots" hides or reveals the picture for a short memory game; keep it visible whenever that is more comfortable.
On paper, draw circles or colour the spaces instead of using loose objects. If you choose physical counters, select materials suitable for the child and supervise; avoid small items with children who may put them in their mouths.
Stop with a useful observation
Finish by describing what your child did: "You saw the full row of five" or "You checked each space." A page need not be completed to be useful. Save a blank frame for another day, or draw one in a notebook.
The pack moves from counting pictured dots to filling empty frames and finding the missing part of ten. Use the parts that suit your child now, without treating the sheets as a test.
