A ten frame is a row of two-by-five boxes — ten cells in all. You drop a counter into each cell, so at a glance you can see how many you have and how many more would make ten. A completely full frame is always 10.

Here is the number 8 shown on a ten frame — eight cells filled, two still empty:

Two empty cells means 8 is just two away from a full ten.

Make a ten, then add the rest

Adding numbers that cross ten — like 8 + 5 — is easier if you first make a ten. Start with 8, then use just enough of the 5 to fill the frame:

8 needs 2 more to make ten, so take 2 from the 5. The first frame is now full, and 3 are left over for a second frame:

A full ten and three more is 13:

That is the whole trick: split the second number so part of it tops up the first number to ten, because adding to a ten and then a few more is quick to see and easy to count.

Test yourself

Practice

Each question uses fresh random numbers (sums stay within 20) — type your answer.