Reckoning numbers may be perceived as a fundamental block of math skills for little learners. Looking into a few available alternatives, Ten frames can be a working pick not only for its easy implementation but also for its accommodation for easy operations as well. Further, online ten frame options like games may add on to the interest level.
With just a click away, these online games can be effortlessly accessible on all devices, making it a fair choice for mentors and parents to ensure practice for little ones. That being the case, here we traverse through what is a Ten Frame, and ten frame online games which you may choose from.
What is ten frame and how to use it?
Let’s try to understand the basics of Ten Frame. A ten frame is a rectangular tool with ten spaces (10 equal spaces). The Frame has five spaces on top and five spaces below that. Students may use counters to represent numbers on the Frame. Being an effective manipulative to visualize numbers and compute them, this also facilitates the young ones to memorize the names of numbers as well. Further, it teaches them to place the value of numbers.
This pedagogy may be employed in the classroom sessions, or anywhere in multiple approaches:
- To start with, the teacher may assign a sheet with blank ten frames to ensure the little ones adapt to the manipulative.
- Simple word problems or operations may be later performed in these ten frames with easily available entities like buttons, beads or any other playthings.
- Then, the mentor and the children may look for additional working resources like workbooks, activities and online games.
Online games- An eminent choice?
Gamification of educational content is in its aggrandizing state. In countries like the US, such practices were evident for almost 10 years[1]. According to a research report by Gabrial Calin Nistor, game-based approaches are considered as “Human-focused design”. This may imply that these strategies may often ensure better comfort and utility. When it comes to Online ten frame games a few edges are:
- Digital alternatives save on time and paper in creating new challenges for little one. Most often, a new question appears soon after the previous one is answered.
- Online ten frames may assist teachers to make effortless modes to explain complex questions. For instance, a set of two or more ten frames may be created at just a click.
- Evidently, online options open the door to flexible learning and practice, while the little ones are recreating with multisensory approaches.
Now, that we comprehend what Ten-frames are and how they succor preschoolers, let us expedite through a list of 10 eminent picks that we suggest you to consider:
List of online ten frame games
1. Ten Frame Game by coolmath4kids
Soon after ensuring foundational learning of ten frames, learners may need a full-fledged online manipulative that may be fitting for gameplay and practice. This choice from Coolmath4kids may be a fitting take-in.
The page opens with a blank space with a large set of options on top and left pane, mimicking softwares like paint and photoshop. To start, the user needs to choose the ten frame button on top to get one in the space to operate on. Now, the student chooses any of the entities from the top bar to fill the frame. For handy, operation dedicated options are provided for directly placing 1, 5, or 10 entities at a time.
To Present more than one number, entities with different colors may be preferred. For that reason, the learner gets a chance to change among 5 colors. They can choose these from the left pane. Other options in the left menu include making a copy of the frame, rotating, editing, and deleting the chosen item.
Being a manipulative tool, this can be easily turned into a game with the guidance of a mentor. Otherwise, the students can also play around with tons of options available to explore multiple dimensions of ten-frame learning like counting, operations, and much more.
2. Koala Karts
While learning ten frames as a game or activity is effective, it would be a cut above experience if ten frames would be a part of a full-blown video game? Koala Karts may be one such option to exhilarate the little ones.
Set up in a race track of Koalas, the player here needs to win boosters for their car to retain their position and finally win the game. To start with, the player needs to enter their name and choose the color of the cart. As the game starts, the user can see a ten frame at the lower side with a few places filled with three options below it. The learner needs to reckon them soon and choose the right answer to boost their cart forward. Accordingly, the more the students answer the more chances that they may win.
The game may be perceived distinctly by shifting the operation of carts for buttons to a ten frames question. This way, the pupils may feel entitled to long practice sessions.
3. George’s Busy Day
In the list of options where the ten frame is directly inferred, this option may be a good take-in for those who may be looking for ten frames in real life.
Set in a museum, the game stipulates the player to count the artifacts and depict how many of them are missing/ need to be added. The recreation starts with a couple of shelves with a capacity of 5 artifacts on each, but some of these are missing. A female mentor at the top-right side of the screen explains the scenario to George (the player) for each question. Listening to this, the learner can choose one of the options given below to respond to how many are missing.
With the clear elucidation of the scenario, the pupil may not only discern the number of artifacts needed but also implicitly get versed with ten frames in real life,
4. Count To Fill A Tens Frame
While classroom teaching and worksheets are efficient, how about a game that ensures a complete package of learning with lectures, practice, and a game? This option from TinyTap manages to offer all of these in a short interval.
The game starts with a brief intro and interactive explanation of simple operations within 10. Then, the user is asked to attempt one question to grasp it. An interactive worksheet is followed later. After this, the game explains the counting of numbers more than 10 using a couple of ten frames, and then children are encouraged to solve one question by dragging the balls into the frame. Similar questions in varying real contexts like football and shirts are displayed, which player may be entitled to indulge in. This way, the recreation starts assisting the learner to practice and a few more questions to end the session.
For those students looking for additional classroom-type interactive teaching with scope to practice and play, this game may be a noteworthy option. Arranged in the form of slides, the game seems light and easily accessible on any device.
5. Ten Frame by Toytheatre
Drawing ten frames and showing numbers on it to little learners may be repetitive for teachers. With this game, the practice of identifying numbers on ten frames may turn easy and comfortable for students.
The game contains a ten frame at the center and a start button on inception. Pressing on start, the ten frame gets filled with a few balls. Now, the player is asked to identify the number depicted. The student can count on and choose the right answer to shift to the next question. Being a facile option to choose from, the little one can start with this and then check out the equation game from the same site. Here, ten-frames are offered with two color balls, which the pupil needs to identify and choose the right equation from the given options.
Learners may feel enticed to expedite through these micro-challenges. Further, their progress can also be checked from the report to the right side of the screen.
6. Ten Frame Mania by Tang Math
To start calculating or getting into an operation, the student may need to fill the frame with reckoners as soon as possible to save on time. This game facilitates learners to speed up their ten-frame abilities.
The game starts with two options: Learn and Play. The user can choose to play to start. In the second screen, there is an option to choose a difficulty level to play. We recommend starting with level 1 and then gradually increasing the levels. Taping on Start, the player enters the game.
The recreations screen has a spiral on the left side and a ten frame on the right. A ball with a number on it rolls down the spiral. The user needs to identify it and place that many balls in the ten frames. For instance, if the ball reads 5, then the learner needs to place 5 entities in the ten frames and then can focus on the next ball coming. Filling the ten frame is facile, the player needs to touch the grid to fill it.
Each level has three rounds. The first consists of 5 balls, the second and third one come up with ten balls and increased speed. This way, students are subject to sequential learning in speeding up. The recreation creates engagement with remarkable gameplay with ten frames, making students easy with their operations.
7. Ten Frame By NTCM
This game may be a pick for those learners who are looking for multiple activities at one place. While all these activities are related to ten frames, the process may be different to brush up on the abilities of the little ones.
The game starts with a virtual game with ten frames on the right, a number button on the bottom, and a few options on the left. Players can choose any of the five games to start by choosing them from the left pane of the screen. The first one- How many? Game shows a specific number via ten frames, and the student needs to identify them and write the answer. The second one is Build game where the player needs to create a time frame configuration as asked. For instance, if 5 and 1 are given, they need to drag these entities to the frame to present. In the third game, Fill asks the student to fill the empty spaces in the ten frames. In the fourth game, Add lets the pupil learn how to add two numbers in the ten frames by dragging them. Finally, an option of Play All may be selected to ensure a combination of all the previous games.
With multiple options, students can get an opportunity to hop from one option to another at any time. Now only this, the learner can also change the aesthetics of the game by changing the entities used in frame. The options available are coins, bugs, stars, and fruit.
8. Complete The Ten Frame By Splashlearn
Set up in a calm ocean, this game lets the players operate with water balls into the ten frame. Thereby assisting them to understand how a ten frame can be filled.
The game opens with a ten frame placed at the center of the screen and a button that acts as the source of balls. The ten frame comes with a few grids already filled, the player needs to discern how many balls are needed to fill and then drag the ball into them. Once the ten frame is filled, they may press the Done button to check and navigate to the next challenge. This option may turn attractive with features like voice assistant, interactive background music, and visuals. Moreover, learners can earn a coin for every right answer, which assists them to advance in the gameplay.
This game may be marked as the incentive option for young learners who may need to get acquainted with the ten frame to employ later. Further, this game may also be apt for those students who may look for learning simple operations like addition.
9. Ten Frame By ictgames
A digital version of ten frames may come in handy to practice and carry. This ten frame by ictgames ensures to offer admirable virtual ten frame manipulatives for students.
The page opens with an empty ten frame and a few buttons below it. These options include three-color balls and a clear button. The player can drag any color ball to place it in the ten frame and make calculations or practice. With three colors provided, operations up to 3 numbers may be employed. Once the calculator is completed, the player may press the Clear button to reset the ten frame empty. This page is light and makes leading and operation facile. Moreover, a couple of options to choose between ten frames is also available.
While this may not be a game itself, this simulation may be used anywhere either to practice or play a game in the classroom or at home. Simple interface makes it distraction-free for the learner.
10. Ten Frame Signs by education.com
While a ten frame can hold not more than 10 entities, do you know that this can also be used to reckon higher numbers as well? This game shows the same by letting the students practise counting numbers till 20.
Set in a beautiful garden, a monster comes up with a board having a question on it and options to choose answers from. Now, the student can count the number of entities to answer appropriately. One trick that they can employ is that they can consider a full-filled ten frame as 10 directly. This way, the estimating may get faster. As the level goes up, the time limit may decrease, stipulating for swift response,
This game focuses on implicitly teaching children that a filled ten frame depicts 10. This way, the students may get ready for complex math concepts later.
Ten frame pedagogies- How do these assist special needs children?
Little learners who are often excited to learn about their surroundings may like opting for multisensory learning. Considering numbers, ten frames are often a fitting option. Further, for special needs children, the need of reckoners and manipulatives may be paramount to ensure personalized learning. These perceptions are believed by the inference derived by various researchers like J Hornigold[2]. In his book, he mentioned how he dealt with dyscalculia. In which he outlined that implying various base ten materials and ten frames assist in learning numbers. As ten frames can assist in mastering basic number notions like place value, adding, and subtracting along with reckoning, these, when applied in an expanded time frame, can assist special needs as well.
Summing up,
Ten frames are very helpful in laying the basic foundation for young children who have just started to learn the concept of counting. With the help of 10 frames, they can learn fluent counting and recall numbers up to 10. Ten Frame is also useful to teach students basic addition and subtraction. While many other alternatives may be available, ten frames may be assistive for some special children. Further, online games on these may add to further comfort in learning.
References:
- Nistor, G. C., & Iacob, A. (2018). The advantages of gamification and game-based learning and their benefits in the development of education. In The international scientific conference eLearning and software for education (Vol. 1, pp. 308-312). ” Carol I” National Defence University.
- Hornigold, J. Can I Tell You About Dyscalculia?: A Guide for Friends, Family and Professionals. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2020, Page No. 58,59
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,