The make ten strategy for addition, with examples

Quick answer

The make ten strategy turns a hard fact into an easy one by filling up a ten first. For 8 + 5, take 2 from the 5 to turn 8 into 10, then add the 3 left over: 10 + 3 = 13. It relies on knowing the pairs that make 10 (a kindergarten goal, K.OA.A.4) and is a 1st grade Common Core strategy for sums within 20 (1.OA.C.6).

Ask an adult how they add 8 + 5 in their head and many will say “8 and 2 is 10, plus 3 is 13.” That is the make ten strategy, one of the most useful ideas in early math. Here is how to teach it in small steps, with ten-frames, number lines and card games.

What is the make ten strategy?

Making ten means splitting one number so that part of it fills the other number up to 10, then adding what is left. It works because adding to 10 is easy: every teen number is a ten and some more, so 10 + 3 is simply “thirteen.”

When kids learn it (in Common Core, used by most states):

First, learn the partners of 10

The strategy only works if your child knows which number “goes with” each number to make 10. There are just five pairs to learn, plus their turnarounds: 1 + 9, 2 + 8, 3 + 7, 4 + 6, 5 + 5. These are often called number bonds to 10.

A ten-frame (a 2-by-5 grid) makes the missing partner easy to see: count the empty boxes. Fingers work too: hold up 7 and ask, “How many fingers are down?” Practice a few pairs a day until your child answers without counting. Our printable ten-frames are made for this.

How to teach make ten, step by step

Use two ten-frames and counters in two colors. We'll work through 8 + 5.

Step 1: Build both numbers in ten-frames

Put 8 red counters in the first frame and 5 blue counters in the second. Ask, “How many empty boxes does the first frame have?” (2.)

Step 2: Move counters to fill the ten

Slide 2 blue counters into the empty boxes. Now the first frame is a full ten and the second has 3 left.

Step 3: Add what is left

One full ten and 3 more is 13. So 8 + 5 = 10 + 3 = 13. Point out that nothing was added or taken away; the counters just moved.

Step 4: Show it on a number line

Draw the same thinking as jumps. Start at 8, jump 2 to land on 10, then jump the remaining 3.

Step 5: Say it without counters

Finally, talk it through with no materials: “8 needs 2 to make 10. 5 is 2 and 3. 10 and 3 is 13.” A number bond for the 5 helps some children see the split.

Another example: 9 + 7

Nine is the easiest number to make ten with, because it needs only 1. Take 1 from the 7 to fill the ten, leaving 6. So 9 + 7 = 10 + 6 = 16.

Filling the bigger number is usually quickest, but either way works: for 8 + 5 you could take 5 from the 8 to make the 5 into 10, and still get 10 + 3 = 13. Flexible thinking is the goal.

Making the next ten with bigger numbers

The same idea carries into two-digit addition in 1st and 2nd grade. Instead of making 10, you make the next ten:

• 38 + 5: 38 needs 2 to reach 40. Split 5 into 2 and 3. 40 + 3 = 43.
• 47 + 6: 47 needs 3 to reach 50. Split 6 into 3 and 3. 50 + 3 = 53.

This is the mental version of carrying: when ones add past 10, a new ten is made. Our guide to addition with regrouping picks up from here.

The subtraction twin: decompose to make ten

For subtraction, children go back down to 10 first. For 13 − 4, subtract 3 to reach 10, then subtract the last 1: 13 − 3 − 1 = 10 − 1 = 9. This is the example Common Core itself uses for 1st grade (1.OA.C.6).

Another one: 15 − 7. Take away 5 to reach 10, then 2 more: 8. You can find more subtraction strategies in our guide on how to teach subtraction.

Common mistakes (and how to help)

• Forgetting the leftover. The child fills the ten and says 8 + 5 = 10. Ask, “Are there any counters left in the second frame?”
• Splitting the wrong amount. For 8 + 5 they move 3 instead of 2. Go back to counting the empty boxes in the first frame.
• Not knowing the partners of 10 yet. If finding “what goes with 7” takes counting, spend more time on partner pairs before pushing the strategy.
• Using make ten for everything. For 6 + 6 or 7 + 8, doubles and near doubles may be faster. It's fine to pick the easiest path.

Make-10 games

• Make-10 Go Fish. Use a deck of cards with the 10s and face cards removed (aces count as 1). Deal 5 cards each. Instead of asking for a match, ask for the card that makes 10 with one of yours: holding a 7, you ask, “Do you have a 3?” Lay down each pair that makes 10. A pair of 5s counts too.
• Make-10 memory. Lay the same cards face down in a grid. Flip two; if they make 10, keep them. If not, turn them back over.
• Shake and spill. Color one side of 10 dried beans (or use two-sided counters), shake them in a cup and spill. Say the pair: “6 colored and 4 plain make 10.”

Practice problems

Ask your child to say how they made ten for each one.

Make ten practice (with answers)

1. 7 + 3 = ?
2. 6 + ? = 10
3. 9 + 4 = ?
4. 8 + 6 = ?
5. 7 + 5 = ?
6. 9 + 8 = ?
7. 8 + 7 = ?
8. 29 + 4 = ?
9. 56 + 7 = ?
10. 14 − 5 = ?
11. 12 − 3 = ?

Show answers

The big picture of how make ten fits with counting on, doubles and two-digit sums is in our guide on how to teach addition. For what to expect by grade, see our kindergarten and 1st grade skills checklists.

Frequently asked questions

What is the make ten strategy in math?

It is a mental addition strategy where you break one number apart to complete a ten, then add what is left. For 9 + 6, take 1 from the 6 to make 10, leaving 5, so the answer is 10 + 5 = 15. It works because adding to 10 is easy: 10 + 5 is simply fifteen.

What are number bonds to 10?

Number bonds to 10 are the pairs of whole numbers that add up to 10: 0 + 10, 1 + 9, 2 + 8, 3 + 7, 4 + 6 and 5 + 5, plus their turnarounds such as 9 + 1. Kids often draw them as a circle for 10 joined to two smaller circles for the parts. Knowing them by heart is what makes the make ten strategy quick.

What grade learns the make ten strategy?

In the Common Core standards, kindergartners find the number that makes 10 with any number from 1 to 9 (K.OA.A.4). First graders use making ten as one strategy for adding and subtracting within 20 (1.OA.C.6), and second graders are expected to know all sums of two one-digit numbers from memory (2.OA.B.2). Your state or school may differ.

How do you use a ten-frame to make ten?

Put the bigger number in one ten-frame and the smaller number in a second frame. Count the empty boxes in the first frame, then slide that many counters across to fill it. Now you can see one full ten plus some extra, which is easy to name: a full frame and 3 more is 13.

Why is my child's school teaching make ten instead of memorizing?

The strategy is a bridge to memorizing, not a replacement. While a child uses make ten, they practice the same facts again and again and see why the answers are right, which helps the facts stick. It also prepares them for two-digit addition and regrouping, where making the next ten is the key idea.

Does the make ten strategy work for subtraction?

Yes. The subtraction version is often called decomposing to make ten. For 13 − 4, subtract 3 first to get down to 10, then subtract the last 1 to get 9. Common Core lists it among the 1st grade strategies, with the example 13 − 4 = 13 − 3 − 1 = 10 − 1 = 9.

Sources

• Common Core State Standards: Kindergarten, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 1, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 2, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades (practice guide) — Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse

Written by The Mathing Team for parents and teachers. Grade expectations follow the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; your state or school may sequence skills a little differently.