After teaching for thirteen years, I tell you with complete confidence that I believe anybody can do this. There are very few “insider secrets” in the teaching profession, and those that do exist are only one quick Google search away. Teachers love to share resources — they absolutely can’t keep information to themselves. If you’re trying to figure out how to teach something, the internet is positively exploding with the help you need.
If you’re looking for help on early addition and subtraction (say, kindergarten through second grade), you’ll likely come across the ten frame in your search for resources and tips. Elementary teachers go ga-ga over ten frames and for pretty good reasons. Ten frames help young minds visualize numbers and their relationships in a clear, tangible way. Read here for a brief but thorough explanation of exactly what a ten frame is and how it works.
Once you’re sold on the idea, you can check out the types of ten frames used in schools. Most look something like this:
Of course, the great delight of homeschooling is that we don’t have to do things the way they do in school. Instead, at our house, we have a pair of ten frames taped off on our tile floor, and our little mathematicians use their 12″ action figures to work out addition and subtraction problems with numbers up to twenty.
Why is this better than a traditional ten frame?
- Engagement — As with any engaging educational activity, the line between play and learning here is pretty dang fuzzy. Why use uninspired little counters when you can use your favorite toys instead? Of course, we’re not limited to action figures. We could use dinosaurs, cars, blocks… whatever gets the attention of the little thinkers and keeps them on target.
- Movement — Most traditional ten frame activities are seat work, and we really prefer to be up and about whenever possible. Little bodies are busy! Scaling this idea up allows them to move around the room, often with arms full of superheroes, and gives them the freedom to wiggle, stand, sit, crawl, walk, jump, and even do some somersaults without disconnecting from the activity.
- Scaffolding — For our three-year-old, who is still mastering counting objects, this set-up worked brilliantly. He struggles to keep track when counting objects that are identical, especially if they are not lined up in rows. A group of objects that are all distinct and arranged in a matrix gives him just the structure he needs to be successful.
How are you using play to help your young learners encounter a new concept or master a skill today? Please share in the comments!