Concrete Support for Learning Ten More/Ten Less

When introducing ten more and ten less (along with one more and one less), the real goal is building place value understanding. When we find a number that is ten more or ten less, only the tens digit changes. That feels obvious to us, but for young learners, it’s a big conceptual shift.

That’s why hands-on experiences matter so much. When students can model what’s happening and actually see how the tens place changes, the learning sticks—and their understanding of our base-ten system grows stronger and more flexible.

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One game I like to use is a well-known favorite called Race to the Bottom. To play, you’ll need a 100 or 120 chart, a spinner labeled 10 more and 10 less, and counters for students to mark their spaces. (You’ll find links to download the materials at the end of this post.)

I prefer using transparent discs so students can still see the numbers underneath. Each player places a disc on any number in the first row—except 10. The starting number really doesn’t matter. Choosing 9 doesn’t give a player any advantage over choosing 3.

Players take turns spinning the spinner and moving their piece to show either 10 more or 10 less than their current number. The first player to reach the bottom row wins.

Using a die instead of a spinner also works, but you may need a quick lesson on odd and even before playing. It’s a simple way to connect two skills in one game.

To make that odd/even lesson stick, bring out some linking cubes to model what’s happening. Count out 10 cubes (we like to pretend they’re green M&M’s) and have students take turns splitting them into two equal piles, checking each time to make sure the groups are the same. When they see that 10 can be divided into two equal groups, it goes in the Even column.

Then pull the cubes back together, quietly remove one, and ask, “What if we had nine?” Students repeat the process and discover that each person gets four, with one left over—the “odd man out.” Nine goes in the Odd column.

Continue working down through the numbers. It might seem like demonstrating one or two examples would be enough, but students really need those repeated concrete experiences for the concept to stick.

With the odd and even foundation in place, begin the game. Each student builds their starting one-digit number on a place value mat using base-ten blocks.

Aa quick note about base-ten blocks. While they are considered concrete materials, they’re actually fairly abstract because students can’t physically break apart a ten into ones (unless you’re using interlocking sets). That’s why it’s important for students to have plenty of experience with linking cubes and ten-frames first, so they truly understand what a group of ten represents.

During the game, each time students roll and add or subtract ten, they model the change on their place value mats with base-ten blocks. It doesn’t take long for them to notice that only the tens place changes—the ones stay the same.

With each move, have students repeat the phrases ten more, plus 10, ten less, and minus ten to strengthen academic vocabulary.

If using a die results in too many odd numbers and slows the pace of the game, switch to number cards (1–9) and include more even numbers than odd ones in the deck. This keeps the game moving and adds a little drama when an odd number appears. And there’s nothing better than students begging to keep playing a math game.

Download the free materials for this activity and use them in your classroom tomorrow! Just don’t skip the concrete support. 🙂