In the previous Names for 10 post, 7-year-old Eli showed you the secret for making math easier for kids (and adults) using a small (delicious) pile of M&Ms.
4 + 6, 3 + 7, 2 + 8, 1 + 9, 0 + 10
Knowing those number partners, backwards and forwards — the commutative property (a + b = b + a) — makes so many other math concepts snap into place.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, trading and regrouping (we used to call it carrying and borrowing), fractions, decimals, percentages, time, and money — all become easier.
In the video below, Sofia shows you how to practice these critical number partners using her fingers.
Most of us have 10 of those, right? No additional materials necessary.
And playing Names for 10 is a great way to pass the time while you wait in line or ride in a car — with a big payoff!
White paper is fine if that is what’s available, but when number partners match in color, that gives kids one more way to cement the names for 10 in their brains.
I’ve found that the more senses people use to learn things, the better they remember.
Moving objects as well as number cards, especially color-coordinated ones, makes the groupings more visual. The physical shifting of objects also adds to kids’ familiarity with the number combinations that make 10.
Whether your child is in first grade or fifth, or if YOU could use a math hack to make you better at quick calculations — at the grocery store, at work, or anywhere you’d like a fast answer — instantly knowing the names for 10 will make all the difference!
If you have a math hack to share, please tell us about it in the comment section below.
We’d love to hear from you.
And please share Names for 10 with your friends!
