The foundation of mental math: Friends of 10.
Why is the number 10 so important? Because our entire math system (Base-10) is built on it. And the best tools to teach it are right at the ends of our arms. These making 10 with fingers worksheets are designed to build automaticity in recognizing number pairs that equal 10 (like 7 and 3, or 6 and 4).
How This Visual Strategy Works: Instead of just adding two numbers, this worksheet asks students to find the missing part.
- See What You Have: The student sees hands with, for example, 7 fingers held up.
- See What’s Missing: They visually count the fingers that are down (or outlined) to realize that 3 are missing.
- The Connection: This solidifies the fact that 7 and 3 are “friends” that always make 10.
Teacher Tip: Use real-life connections. “If you have 10 cookies and eat 7, how many are left?”