Adding by 10 is part of Week 2 of our mastering basic math addition plan for Grade 1. Adding by 10 will bring back some confidence that may be lost after learning to add by 2. It is more straight forward and the pattern is faster to remember.
Adding by 10 Teaching Strategies
The strategies below are just suggestions. It may work or may not work with your child. I suggest using one strategy at a time. If the strategy already works, stick to it. Having too many strategies can be confusing also. If your child has developed their own strategy to consistently arrive to the correct answer, use it as well. In fact, that may be the best strategy yet!
- See the pattern. Looking at the 10 Addition Fact shows an easy pattern with adding by 10.
- When adding by 10, just copy the ones place and add the 1 in the tens place.
- It is a good time to reintroduce the place value of numbers.
- Emphasize the commutative property of addition. It simply means that the order of the numbers (or addends), does not affect the answer. Thus, the answer for 10+7 is the same as 7+10.
- Try adding other multiples of 10 for fun. Try adding 20+5 or even 70+3. Let the child see that the pattern works even for larger numbers.
Adding by 10 Worksheets
Use the worksheets below to practice adding with 10. I recommend having 2 worksheets per day only.
The first four worksheets below are good for 2 days of practice.
The next four worksheets has a line for TIME. You can use this to time how fast your child can answer the 20 items correctly. The goal is to be fast and accurate at the same time. Thus, if the child makes a mistake, 10 seconds is added to the total time.
No need to set a time limit. Just use the time as a comparison with previous worksheets.
These timed tests are optional. You may opt not to take note of the time. Some experts believe that timed tests have a negative impact on kids. Aim for accuracy over speed.
- Speed Test – Adding by 10 Worksheet #1
- Speed Test – Adding by 10 Worksheet #2
- Speed Test – Adding by 10 Worksheet #3
- Speed Test – Adding by 10 Worksheet #4