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Home » Kindergarten Math

Teach: How to Draw a Ten Frame

By Leslie Simpson · About 4 minutes to read this article.

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Teach how to draw a ten frame so that it can be used as a tool throughout the year to show groups of ten - perfect for composing and decomposing numbers.

This is a hugely important skill!

I am laying the foundation for all of that now by teaching them how to draw it... I learned the hard way last year that this has to be taught explicitly if I want them to use it (and not have it be a gazillion frame).

This is an easy way to teach how to draw a ten frame - perfect for kindergarten

We are on day seven of our new school year, and we are laying the ground work for guided math groups.

Groups yet? Not yet. No way. They are not ready to be independent... yet.

That's why I said ground work.

However, this year I am capitalizing on the fact that I know where we want to go and am doing a better job of rolling "math" out in general this year.

What I've taught prior to this

We have read Monster Numbers at least four times which has a kinder-friendly ten frame all throughout the book. They've seen a ten frame on almost every page and become familiar with it as a "monster keeper." We've also read The Pond and (affiliate)  Ten Black Dots.

The combination of these three books helps me to bring the concepts of 1:1 and number identification through literature.

When we read Ten Black Dots I modeled drawing a ten frame. I passed out black construction paper dots and we added them to the ten frame I drew on our easel as we read.

I'm teaching this skill before I ever expect them to do it on their own in their math journals or during calendar math time. 

However, I do use the very first math prompt to teach "how to draw a rectangle." I use my kindergarten sing-songy voice to explain that a rectangle goes, "down... over...up...over" and model how to draw it.

I use that rectangle lesson to build into modeling the outline for a ten frame. We use the same language and I refer back to that math prompt as I teach how to draw a ten frame.

How to draw a ten frame

So, once again I use my kindergarten sing-songy voice to explain that a rectangle goes, "down... over... up... over" and model how to draw it.

Then I model drawing four dots (roughly evenly spaced) and model drawing the four lines down.

We discuss that it looks like 5 doors... just like the door from our journal prompt.

Then, I start over and model why I chose to make "doors" and almost evenly spaced lines. What if I try to put all of my dots and lines all close together? Well... I can just say that "french fries" just doesn't work!

They quickly see that it looks nothing like the ten frame we've seen in the book - nor can I put black dots into the spaces like we did when reading 10 Black Dots.

After drawing the final product we erase and I model spacing the dots out again. I remind them that "door" spaces work and "french fries" don't.

We add two dots onto the middle of each of the short ends of the triangle and connect the dots to complete how to draw the ten frame.

If you're wondering...

Why a ten frame? Because it helps lay the groundwork for seeing patterns in numbers and grouping even better than tally marks!

Take for example, how we use ten frames later in the year by reading a guided math lesson plan flow and why does 10+6=16. But, we really did use them all the time!

I'm not sure why I didn't teach the strategy of using starting dots for lines to create a ten frame right from the start last year, but I hope that this tip helps if you have your kinders drawing and using them!

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More on Ten Frames

  • Creating Ten Frame Manipulatives
  • Teen Numbers in Kindergarten
  • Decomposing Numbers – Why We Teach This in Kindergarten
  • Composing & Decomposing: a Guided Math Lesson Plan Flow
  • Teen Frame Decomposing Game
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About Leslie Simpson

Leslie is the teacher behind KindergartenWorks. She believes in teaching kinders how to be pretty incredible along with teaching them to read, write and think for themselves. She enjoys drinking hot tea, making mud pies with her three kids and sharing what she's learned with teachers.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Harmony Rushton says

    April 29, 2020 at 12:09 am

    Thanks for the tip!!! Going to try this!

    Reply
  2. Lori Geist says

    July 31, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Love this! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Shannon Jensen says

    July 30, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    Yes...teach them this...they CaN do it and love trying to best ME!!

    Reply
  4. Terry Glynn Arikol says

    July 30, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    Awesome!

    Reply
  5. Deena Blaine says

    July 30, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    Loved this idea- thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  6. Sylvia Parker says

    July 29, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    Thanks for this great reminder. Works like a charm!

    Reply
  7. Kerry Burke Antilla says

    June 30, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    This is a great idea, my students have always struggled with drawing 10 frames. I'm so glad I've read this, next year's class will be pros. 🙂 I also love the literature connections you mentioned. Thanks!

    Kerry

    Reply
    • Leslie @KindergartenWorks says

      June 30, 2015 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks Kerry - they will be experts!
      - Leslie

      Reply
  8. Karen Lamy Mangine says

    November 19, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks so much for this. I've been doing guided drawing all along and so teaching the step by step to make the ten frame came naturally to the class. Drawing their own ten frame really built on the understanding of the concept of amounts and the corresponding numeral! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Leslie @KindergartenWorks says

      November 19, 2013 at 9:02 pm

      So great to hear Karen!
      - Leslie

      Reply
  9. Joness3 says

    August 31, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Hi, I love the math journal prompts! Do you have these available for purchase/download?

    Reply
    • Leslie @KindergartenWorks says

      September 01, 2013 at 1:43 pm

      Hi there,

      I sure do. I have a semester's worth of prompts available in the guided math pack: http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/KindergartenWorks/guided-math-pack-lesson-plan-templates-strategy-posters-amp-starter-materials

      - Leslie

      Reply
  10. Susan Auman Berry says

    July 27, 2013 at 11:00 am

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  11. DSinger says

    December 12, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Absolutely fabulous site!!!

    Reply
  12. Mrs.Parker says

    August 29, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    Great explicit instruction. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to use it with my class.

    Reply
    • Leslie @KindergartenWorks says

      August 30, 2012 at 5:56 pm

      Thanks Mrs. Parker!

      Reply

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