How to Teach Your Child to Make 10 (Addition and Subtraction Strategies)

The skill that makes addition and subtraction easier instead of harder. Your child learns that numbers can be broken apart and recombined to make 10.

Making 10 shows up naturally when kids fill a ten frame, complete a set, or notice what is missing. The goal is helping your child see 10 as a friendly benchmark, not a target to memorize.

This understanding supports mental math, addition and subtraction within 20, and later strategies like regrouping.

Before You Start

Your child should be comfortable counting up to 10 and adding small groups together.

If addition still feels shaky, spend a little more time there first.

5 Ways to Build This Skill Daily

Snack To Ten

Start with a small number of snacks. Count them together. Eat one or two and count again. “You had six, you ate two. How many are left?” Watching the pile shrink makes subtraction obvious.

Toy Fill Up

Line up toys and stop before you reach 10. “We have seven cars. How many more cars do we need to make 10?” Let your child grab the missing ones and check.

Ten Spot Check

Point to groups of objects around the house. “That looks like eight. What would make it 10?” This builds quick thinking without counting everything.

Finger Finish

Hold up a number of fingers. “I have six fingers up. How many more fingers do I need to make 10?” Kids love using their own hands to solve it.

When your child starts telling you how many are left without recounting every object, they are ready to move forward.

When You Have Focused Time

Subtraction using Addition & Subtraction Learning Board

Set up a subtraction problem on the board. Match the problem tiles to the correct answer tiles. Use the visual dots to see what is being taken away and count what remains.

Cube Break Apart using Snap Cubes by Learning Resources

Build a small cube train. Break off a few cubes and set them aside. Count what remains. Use two colors to show what stayed and what was taken away.

Helpful Resources

Here are resources that will reinforce your teaching in a fun, fresh manner.

Books

Tools (Manipulatives or Toys)

Bedtime Make 10 Talk

Call out numbers while brushing teeth or getting ready for bed. “If I have 4, how many more to make 10?” Keep it light and quick. No props needed.

What’s Next:

Once your child can quickly see how numbers combine to make 10, move on to Concept 7: Shapes and Geometry, where they begin identifying, describing, and building with shapes.