First grade truly is a year filled with all kinds of exciting "firsts". Children in this grade are just beginning to get a handle on so many important new concepts that will lay the foundation for life-long learning. One of those key concepts is place value. I know it can feel a little intimidating to teach place value to first graders, but I promise it doesn't need to be difficult. Today I'll share all about how I teach tens and ones in first grade and help my kiddos master place value!
I've often heard from other teachers that math is not their favorite when it comes to classroom teaching. They share that their students struggle to grasp the concepts and they have difficulty "making it stick". Have you had this experience before? You're certainly not alone!
Over the years I have found the best way to combat this is through daily practice and a few fun activities that will keep your students actively engaged in math practice! Curious about my go-to options? Here are my top 5!
1. Introduce Tens and Ones with Manipulatives
You guys might already know that I am a big fan of using hands-on activities to teach in my classroom. I find that first graders really need to be able to hold materials in their hands and manipulate the pieces when it comes to tens and ones.
For this reason, you will want to get a great set of base ten blocks. I know it's a bit of an investment if your school does not provide them, but buying a high-quality set will last you for YEARS, and you really will use them every day. In my classroom, I actually made individual tubs for each student containing a set of blocks.
When we worked on place value activities, every child had their own tub to work with, making this simple to use in our daily routine. Labeling the bins by number means that each of your students can keep track of their own tub and use it at their desks or during small groups, as needed.
More Ways to Practice with Base Ten Blocks
While you can certainly use base ten blocks anyway you'd like, I really love having the support of some practice pages and hands-on center activities for practicing tens and ones. The activities in this resource are perfect for primary learners! Inside, you will find teaching posters, engaging worksheets, and a math center that pairs perfectly with base ten blocks. Having a little structure like this is great for small groups and will allow you to see what level each student is working at with ease.
No matter how you use them, base ten blocks are essential as you begin to work on comparing and ordering numbers as well. These are an absolute must in my book!
2. Mix it Up to Teach Tens and Ones
It's no secret that children love variety in the classroom. I think that this is really important to remember when you're teaching something like tens and ones that you will talk about all year long. In my classroom, I try to mix it up with games, digital activities, and hands-on centers that allow for engaged learning. Keeping it interesting and ever-changing means that learning feels fresh and new every day. Here are a few of my favorite ideas to mix it up!
BINGO Games
My favorite game to include for this topic is BINGO. It's such a simple, classic game that everyone already knows how to play. I also love that Tens and One's BINGO allows my students to practice familiarizing themselves with base ten blocks and learning to quickly identify how many they represent. The slight "urgency" BINGO presents is the perfect motivator to help firsties challenge themselves a bit when it comes to learning tens and ones!
Since BINGO is so much fun, I love to save this activity as a whole group game on Fun Friday. When students (and teachers) are feeling a bit worn out from the week, it's a great way to lighten the mood while continuing to learn.
Mystery Puzzles
Mystery Puzzles are always a winner in my classroom. The hands-on learning element of them keeps kids focused on what they are learning, and I'm even able to weave in some fine motor and scissors skills practice too.
These place value mystery puzzles give students multiple opportunities in each puzzle to practice these key skills. But. . . students don't realize just how much they are practicing because they love the fun of the activity! Wins all around!
Another great benefit to mystery puzzles like these is that they are low-prep. This is one of those print-and-go activities that will lighten up the load. They're easy to use, too! Kids will cut apart the puzzle pieces and solve for each square by determining what number is represented with base ten blocks, in expanded form, or missing in the sequence. They find the matching number for that square and place it on top.
They will continue this process until their picture is revealed. A quick check for accuracy in the picture tells them if they answered correctly. Finally, they glue it down with a glue stick, allow it to dry, and then color it in. This is a great center time activity that kids can be fully independent with!
Boom Cards
Have you ever used Boom Cards? If not, you're in for a treat! These digital task cards are no-prep and will wow your students every day! These are great for those moments when kids seem less-than-enthused about practicing tens and ones because they truly feel more like a game than traditional classroom learning.
These Tens and Ones Math Mystery Boom Cards use the same concept as the printable mystery puzzles above, except they are in a digital format. To use, all you need to do is set up a free account on Boom Learning, and then you can assign the digital task cards for students. This works really well in the classroom if you're looking for a way to weave in some technology integration. Children can even be paired up and work together on a tablet or computer to finish the puzzles together.
They get instant feedback as they work, so if they answer incorrectly, they will get a chance to try again! I love this feature since it allows for reflection and even more learning. Trust me, your kids are going to love these!
Color by Code
I've got one more idea under this category that will help you mix it up! As teachers, it's crucial we balance our time when it comes to prep. We've got a lot on our plates already, and too much prep can really burn through our time! That's why I am a big fan of balancing more prep-heavy lessons with some no-prep options too. The key here is to find engaging no-prep options, though!
Especially when it comes to teaching tens and ones, we can't have boring worksheets floating around! Oh no! That's a recipe for disaster. Instead, try something like these Color by Code Worksheets. They've got the appeal of a coloring activity, the ease of a no-prep worksheet, and plenty of practice with tens and ones, too!
Set these up as one of your weekly centers to take one thing off your plate, but still ensure your students have an engaging practice activity for tens and ones that they will enjoy. They simply choose a page, solve for each square by determining the number represented, and then color their picture according to the code. These are also great for those moments in your room when you need your whole group to refocus. Turn on some calming music and pass these out to reel everyone back in after recess or when attention seems to wane.
3. Try a Fun Math Craft
Looking for even more ways to mix it up and teach out of the box? Why not try an engaging math craft for teaching tens and ones in your room? Everyone loves the chance to be creative, and this type of activity feels a lot more fun than the typical routine! This Free Place Value Fish Craft is the perfect way to test this out in your classroom.
This activity will really brighten up your day, and it allows your kids to get the practice they need with tens and ones. Included there are 4 different versions of this cute craft to allow for differentiation by skill level. To use, each kiddo gets a number and a set of easy-prep craft pages. They fill out the math problems on their fish using the numbers. Each one features a different place value concept. Then, they will color the fish and fishbowl, cut them out, and glue everything down on construction paper.
Your students will love this activity and having a little "break" from the normal routine in the classroom. Not to mention, these math crafts will really brighten up your room if you choose to display them!
4. Use Seasonal Activities for Teaching Tens and Ones
Sometimes, all you need to freshen up a lesson is some seasonal flair, right?! I've found this to be true, especially in first grade! Young students love lessons that have some holiday sparkle to them. When learning to master tens and ones, I love to use a variety of activities with a seasonal theme, like these digital place value activities for fall.
The fall activities I use are designed for Google Slides. You can project them to your board, making them perfect for whole group lessons, share on a tablet with a small group, or assign to students individually to complete on a device or in a technology center.
While many of these activities are the same as some of the others we do regularly, there's something about a seasonal theme and digital game that just really perks my kiddos up. Not to mention, the digital format feels "new" in comparison to the hands-on learning we do regularly.
5. Use Daily Place Value Practice Pages
One of the best ways to help your students succeed in grasping the concept of tens and ones is to practice daily! As much as morning work is part of our daily routine, we also work on place value activities day in and day out. In my classroom, I use worksheets that follow the same general outline each day and build upon each other. This predictability means that students can eventually be fully independent with them.
Each day, students will grab their tub of base ten blocks along with their worksheet of the day and begin working on the activities. Our daily number sense worksheets cover identifying numbers in the tens and one's place, writing in expanded form, and more! I'm a firm believer that daily practice is what really makes it "click" for my firsties.
As a bonus, since we use these every day, my students actually become quite independent in completing these worksheets. I find that adding these to our morning routine is a great way to sneak in some daily practice while also promoting some independent practice in my classroom. If you're interested in reading a more in-depth overview of how to include tens and one's practice in your daily routine, be sure to read this post. I cover my whole strategy for daily number sense practice!
Grab Tens and Ones Daily Practice Sheets for Your Room
Do you want to get started with a daily tens and ones practice routine? I have a special freebie just for you! Be sure to head over to my shop and snag a free sample of my daily place value activities. These activities will quickly help your students master tens and ones through daily, no-prep printable worksheets.
As I mentioned these place value activities build each day to continue challenging your students. With a new set of number sense worksheets for each month, you can be confident your students will master tens and ones!
Save This Post
I hope you enjoyed these activities for teaching tens and ones! Save this post on your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can revisit it when you're ready to start planning!
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