1. Find the gap.
Eight needs two more to make ten: 10 − 8 = 2.
MAKE-TEN ADDITION VISUALIZER
Same counters.
A clearer sum.
Eight plus seven can be easier to see as ten plus five. Move the counters yourself, one step at a time, and follow what happens to the remainder.
Try 8 + 7 ↘Free browser tool · No timer · No signup
NOTHING ADDED. NOTHING LOST.8 + 7
10 + 5
10 + 5
A full ten. Five left over.
TWO TEN-FRAMES · THREE STEPS
Make room for ten.
STEP 1 OF 3
8 + 7
8 counters in the first frame
7 counters in the second frame
The first frame has 8. It has room for 2 more. The second frame holds 7.
THE METHOD, WITHOUT THE MYSTERY
Why does 8 + 7 become 10 + 5?
2. Split the seven.
Take two from the seven. Five remain: 7 = 2 + 5.
3. Regroup.
Combine eight and two, then add the five: 8 + 7 = 8 + 2 + 5 = 10 + 5 = 15.
The colors keep track of where the counters started. Blue counters belong to the first number; orange counters belong to the second. Moving orange counters changes their position, not the total.
A TAKE-ALONG ACTIVITY · HONEST LITTLE APPS
Make ten. Keep the total.
Draw counters or use small objects. Fill the first ten-frame, then count what is left. Explain why moving counters does not change the total.
Your worked example: 8 + 7 = 8 + 2 + 5 = 10 + 5 = 15
9 + 4
Split 4 into ___ + ___.
10 + ___ = ___.
8 + 6
Split 6 into ___ + ___.
10 + ___ = ___.
7 + 8
Split 8 into ___ + ___.
10 + ___ = ___.
6 + 7
Split 7 into ___ + ___.
10 + ___ = ___.
Talk about it: How many spaces were in the first frame? Which counters moved? What stayed the same?
Grown-up answer key: 9 + 4: split 4 into 1 + 3; 10 + 3 = 13. 8 + 6: split 6 into 2 + 4; 10 + 4 = 14. 7 + 8: split 8 into 3 + 5; 10 + 5 = 15. 6 + 7: split 7 into 4 + 3; 10 + 3 = 13.
Try the movable counters again:
https://udrwu9c0tjuedqy2.github.io/hla-games/number-beasts/make-ten-addition-lab/
Optional next step: Number Beasts: Bond Lab is the related iPhone/iPad puzzle game from this resource's publisher, Honest Little Apps. This worksheet is a separate activity and works without the app.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6817125699
A NUMBER TALK FOR GRADES 1–2
Which equation keeps the same counters?
Sam says 8 + 7 becomes 10 + 7. Jo says it becomes 10 + 5. Give partners a minute to argue for one answer, then move the counters to test it.
Get the two-page activity (PDF)Page one is for learners. Page two has a seven-minute lesson and answer key. Print or share either page for classroom use.
Read the activity and answer key here
Test two explanations. Start with eight counters in one frame and seven in the other. Which equation keeps the same fifteen counters? Explain what happened in the other equation.
Repair a new example. A partner wrote 9 + 4 = 10 + 4. Correct the right side, then explain how many counters moved. Choose your own two numbers from one to nine with a sum above ten and show a similar move.
Teacher key. Jo moved two from seven, leaving five. Ten plus five is fifteen. Sam added two to eight without taking them from seven, giving seventeen. For 9 + 4, move one from four to nine. The result is 10 + 3 = 13. One possible new example is 6 + 8 = 10 + 4.
When learners can make ten: Give them a new question. Start at seven, add five, and pass only the two left over to the next target. The Predict the Leftover activity and answer key includes three routes to trace and two missing numbers to work backward. Print one page or use the text version.
TURN THE IDEA INTO A PUZZLE
What happens when
the number keeps moving?
Number Beasts: Bond Lab turns number bonds into launch-and-plan puzzles. Make ten, use a remainder and think ahead to the next target. The app includes a workshop for making and sharing puzzle codes.
Explore Number Beasts on the App Store ↗This ten-frame visualizer is a separate browser companion, not a simulation of the app's boards or physics. The current App Store listing is free and lists no ads or in-app purchases. Requires iOS/iPadOS 18 or later; check the listing for current details.
A few useful distinctions.
What is the make-ten strategy?
It is a way to regroup an addition so one part becomes ten. For 9 + 6, move one from the six: 9 + 1 + 5 = 10 + 5 = 15. The total stays the same.
What if my numbers total less than ten?
The tool puts the counters together and shows the total, but there is no full ten to bridge through. Try 8 + 7 for an example with a remainder.
Is this a test or a score?
No. You can step forward and backward, change numbers and look again. There is no timer, grade or stored performance record.
Does it save anything or need an account?
No account or browser storage is used. The copy buttons write the equation or a link containing only your two selected numbers when you choose them. Shared links include no name, score or account. Print uses your browser’s print controls; nothing is uploaded by the worksheet.