It's All About Adding to 10

One very important math skill for young learners (and some older kids can use a refresher) is learning which pairs of numbers add up to 10 ( ie 9+1, 8+2, etc.) - also known as Complements of 10.

You can reinforce this skill with a simple deck of cards.

Remove Jacks, Queens and Kings but keep the number cards from 2 - 9 and Aces which will represent 1. You can use all of the remaining cards, but just one color is sufficient.

Place the cards, face side down, in 3 rows of 6 (the exact number or rows is not important but rows is helpful).

Take turns turning over a card. Then, whoever turns the card over needs to state what card is needed for the 2 cards to add up to 10. For example, if a 6 was turned over, they would state a 4 is needed and turn a single card over looking for a 4. If they find a 4, they keep the pair and their turn continues. If they don't have a match, they turn both cards upside down again and the next person takes their turn. (Get in more practice for them by letting them tell you what card you need to look for to add up to 10!)

This can be played with 1 or 2 players. Also note there should be someone to verify the pairs add up to 10 AND to remind the child to state what number they are looking for before turning a card over. It is the process of thinking through the number pairs that aids in the learning so don't let them skip this valuable step!

Frequently, after playing through 2 or 3 times, recognition of complements of 10 gets much better. If you've ever played Concentration or Memory, this game should be familiar, we just adjust what is being matched!

Once kids learn their complements of 10, knowing what number to add to reach 20, 30, 40 and more becomes so easy.

Turning a boring math drill into a game helps kids tackle the more tedious aspects of math learning. At Mathnasium, we work with kids who are struggling with math or lack confidence and help them develop the skills and confidence needed to do well.

If you have noticed your child struggling with math, give us a call. Because math builds on itself, rarely do math issues go away and getting kids caught up sooner rather than later always pays off in the long run. You can also schedule a free assessment by going to our website.