Ten Frames are helpful in promoting conceptual subitizing and they facilitate the advancement to more sophisticated addition and subtraction. The familiar spatial patterns of a ten frame prompt conceptual subitizing, develop understanding of units, highlight the structure of 5’s and 10’s, and give opportunity to compose and decompose numbers. Children can use ten frames to recognize a number (ex. 4 dots), see those 4 dots as a unit (ex. 4(1)), and consider how this relates to the units of 5 and 10 (and thus recognize 4(1) as a unit and also as a part of a composite (ex. 4 as part of the whole unit of 10). 

Our Ten Frame Cards are a set of 33 images, 2 per page, and depict all possible configurations of 10 dots within a ten frame. The Number Lab’s Ten Frame is constructed so that it is not in conflict with models children will see when they encounter fractions — this is extremely important.

This is a digital download. It is a PDF that is 20-page PDF, containing a page of directions, a page of background information, and 33 images . The intention is that you will print and create cards by cutting each page in half, or you will use a projector to display.

Once you have purchased The Number Lab’s Ten Frame Cards, you'll have 24 hours to download the pdf. You will have a link displayed after purchase; in addition, the link will be emailed to you. We trust that you will follow copyright laws and use this digital download for your own use.