Building 10 Fingers Cubes Beans
Part of the Math for Young Minds curriculum — designed for neurodivergent students, grounded in real-world examples.
📋 Session plan (for teachers)
Session 4 — Building 10: fingers, cubes, beans
Kindergarten · Math for Young Minds Total time: ~17 minutes Common Core: K.OA.A.3, K.OA.A.4 Today's idea: 10 can be made many different ways. Two parts can come together and make 10.
What students will be able to do
By the end of this session, the student can:
- See that 10 can be made many different ways.
- Find pairs of numbers that add to 10 (like 4 and 6, or 7 and 3).
- Use fingers or counters to check their answer.
Materials
- 10 counters for each pair of students (cubes, beans, or paper circles)
- Worksheet (one per student)
- Pencil
Substitution: Anything you have 10 of works — pasta pieces, buttons, paper scraps, small blocks. Avoid tiny or sharp things.
New words
| Word | Meaning we use in class |
|---|---|
| parts | The smaller groups that go together. |
| makes 10 | Two parts that add up to 10. |
That's the entire vocabulary for today. No other terms.
Heads-up — common confusions
- Only 5 + 5. Some children think 5 and 5 is the only way to make 10. Show them more pairs. "4 and 6 makes 10 too!"
- Forgetting zero. 10 + 0 also makes 10. Zero is a number too! Say it out loud: "Zero on this hand, ten on this hand — still 10."
- Counting wrong with uneven hands. When the two parts are different (like 3 and 7), kids may lose track. Slow down. Count one hand first. Then the other. Then together.
- Recounting from 1. A child may keep starting over. That's fine. Counting again helps them check.
Plan
1 · Hello & today's idea — 2 min
Hold up both hands, fingers spread.
"How many fingers do I have? Let's count. One, two, three… ten. Ten fingers on two hands."
Bend down 3 fingers on one hand.
"Look. Some are up, some are bent. But I still have 10 fingers. 10 can be made of two parts."
"Today we're going to find lots of ways to make 10."
2 · Hands-on explore — 5 min
Give each pair 10 counters.
"Count your counters. You should have 10. Touch each one."
Wait. Walk around. Check that each pair has 10.
"Now split them into two piles. Any way you want. Two parts."
Let them try. Then:
"How many in this pile? How many in that pile? Together — still 10!"
"Now mix them up. Split them a different way. A new two parts."
Walk around. Watch for:
- Splitting all 10 into two piles (not losing any).
- Counting each pile separately.
- Noticing both piles together still make 10.
If a child only splits 5 and 5, gently push: "Can you find a different way?"
3 · Connect to the math — 3 min
Stand at the front. Hold up both hands.
Problem 1 (together): "Look — 4 fingers up on this hand. How many do I need on the other hand to still have 10?"
Wait. Let them guess. Then show 6 fingers on the other hand. Count all together: "1, 2, 3, 4… 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10."
"Four and six. Two parts. Makes 10."
Try one more on your hands: 7 and 3. Count slowly. One hand first, then the other.
"The secret: two parts can make 10 in lots of ways."
4 · Practice with support — 4 min
Pass out the worksheet. Counters stay on the table for checking.
Problem 2 (solo): "Put 7 cubes on the table. How many more do you need to make 10?"
Wait. Let them add cubes one at a time and count. Answer: 3.
Problem 3 (solo): "Put 2 beans on the left. Now put some on the right so it makes 10. How many on the right?"
Wait. Walk around. Answer: 8.
Problem 4 (stretch): "Can you find ALL the pairs that make 10? How many can you find?"
Let them try with their counters. Help them list: 0+10, 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5. That's 6 pairs.
If a child is stuck, slow them down. Count one part. Then the other. Then together.
5 · What we did + Try at home — 1 min
"Today you learned that 10 has many parts. 4 and 6 makes 10. 7 and 3 makes 10. Even 10 and 0 makes 10!"
Hold up 10 fingers. Bend 2 down.
"Two down, eight up. Still 10."
Wave the family guide.
"At home tonight: hold up 10 fingers. Bend some down. Count what's down and what's up. Together — still 10! Try it with cereal pieces, socks, or toys too."
Observation rubric — what to notice in this session
Use this during the session, not as a test. One observation per student is plenty.
| Where the student is | What you'd see |
|---|---|
| Developing | Splits 10 only one way (often 5 and 5). May lose count when the two parts are uneven. Needs your hand to guide. |
| Using | Finds two or three different pairs that make 10. Counts each part, then sees both parts still equal 10. |
| Extending | Finds most or all pairs (including 0 and 10). Can answer "what makes 10 with 7?" without counting every cube. |
No fail state. "Developing" today is "using" next week.
What's next (Session 5)
In Session 5 — Joining groups (adding), we take the next step. Today we found parts of 10. Next time, we put two groups together — that's adding.
✏️ Worksheet (for students)
Math for Young Minds · Kindergarten
4 · Building 10 — fingers, cubes, beans
[ Hello ] → [ Explore ] → [ Connect ] → [ Practice ← we are here ] → [ Try at home ]
My name: _____________________________
Today
Two parts can make 10. Many ways!
✋ ✋ = 🔟
We did this together
✋ (5) + ✋ (5) = 10
✋ (4) + ✋✊ (6) = 10
Both make 10!
Problem 1 — together
Show 4 fingers on one hand. ✋
How many on the other hand to make 10?
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ │
│ draw the other hand 👇 │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
➤ Circle the number:
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐
│ 4 │ │ 5 │ │ 6 │ │ 7 │ │ 8 │
└──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘
Problem 2 — on your own
Put 7 cubes on the table:
🟦 🟦 🟦 🟦 🟦 🟦 🟦
How many more to make 10? Draw them:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
➤ Circle the number:
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐
│ 1 │ │ 2 │ │ 3 │ │ 4 │ │ 5 │
└──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘
Problem 3 — on your own
2 beans on the left. Draw beans on the right to make 10:
┌──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ 🫘 🫘 │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
└──────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
left right
➤ How many on the right? Circle:
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐
│ 6 │ │ 7 │ │ 8 │ │ 9 │ │ 10 │
└──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘
Problem 4 — stretch
Fill in every way to make 10:
0 + _____ = 10
1 + _____ = 10
2 + _____ = 10
3 + _____ = 10
4 + _____ = 10
5 + _____ = 10
How many pairs? Circle:
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐
│ 4 │ │ 5 │ │ 6 │ │ 7 │
└──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘
Today's words
| word | what it means |
|---|---|
| parts | the smaller groups that go together |
| makes 10 | two parts that add up to 10 |
🏠 Try at home tonight
Hold up 🔟 fingers. Bend some down. Count the bent ones and the up ones. Together — still 10!
- ✋ ✋ fingers on two hands
- 🥣 10 cereal pieces in two piles
- 🧦 10 socks split into pairs
- 🧸 10 toys shared with a friend
Two parts. Together they make 10.
🏠 Family guide (for parents)
Math for Young Minds · Kindergarten · Session 4
Tonight: make 10 with your hands
What your child did today
In class today, we explored all the ways to make 10.
The big idea: 10 can be split into two parts in many different ways. 4 and 6 makes 10. So does 7 and 3. So does 10 and 0.
We used our two hands, then cubes and beans, to find pairs that make 10.
Most kids start by thinking only 5 + 5 works. By the end, they see there are lots of ways.
Why this matters
Knowing the pairs that make 10 is one of the most useful number facts your child will ever learn.
Later on, when they're adding bigger numbers in their head, they'll lean on 10 all the time. 10 is a friendly number. It matches our fingers, and it matches the way we write numbers.
We're not asking your child to memorize anything tonight. We just want them to see that 10 can be built in many ways. Speed comes later on its own.
🏠 Try this tonight (1 minute)
Hold up all 10 fingers together. Then bend some fingers down on one hand.
Ask: "How many are bent down? How many are still up? Together, do they still make 10?"
Count each hand separately first, then together.
| Easy ways to play |
|---|
| Fingers on two hands |
| 10 cereal pieces split into two piles |
| 10 socks split into two groups |
| 10 toys split between two friends |
The script:
"We have 10. If this part is 3, what's the other part?"
Let them check with their fingers or by counting the objects. If they miscount when the two parts are different sizes (like 3 and 7), slow down and count each part on its own first.
Words your child is learning
- Parts — the smaller groups that go together
- Makes 10 — two parts that add up to 10
That's the whole list for today.
If your child says…
"This is easy — it's just 5 and 5."
Wonderful. Ask them: "Is there another way?" See if they can find 4 and 6, or 7 and 3. Then ask about 10 and 0. Zero is a number too — and 10 + 0 really does make 10.
"I keep getting it wrong."
That's okay. Counting two different-sized groups is tricky at first. Have them count one hand, pause, then count the other hand, pause, then count them all together. Going slow is the win here.
"I don't want to."
No problem. Try again tomorrow with something they like — goldfish crackers, Legos, small toys. Math at this age should feel like noticing the world, not doing work.
What's next
In Session 5, we'll start joining groups — that's adding. Today we took 10 apart into parts. Next time, we put two groups together to find the total.
Thanks for spending a minute on this tonight. These small moments at the table are where math lives.
— Math for Young Minds
🔑 Cheat sheet (visual)
🤝 Two parts make 10
Your hands always show 10
✋ ✋
👆👆👆👆👆 👆👆👆👆👆
5 + 5 = 10
Bend some down — still 10!
✋ ✊
👆👆👆👆👆 ✊✊✊✊✊
5 + 0 = 10
✋ ✋
👆👆👆👆✊ ✊✊✊✊👆
4 + 1 ...wait!
One hand up + one hand down = count them together.
All the pairs that make 10
0 + 10 🫳 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
1 + 9 🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
2 + 8 🟢🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
3 + 7 🟢🟢🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
4 + 6 🟢🟢🟢🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
5 + 5 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
↑ parts ↑ ↑ parts ↑
Two parts that add up to 10 → makes 10.
Try it together
✋ ✋
👆👆👆👆✊ ✊✊✊✊✊
4 + ? = 10
How many fingers hide? → 6 🙌
✅ Makes 10?
✅ 4 + 6 ✅ 7 + 3
✅ 2 + 8 ✅ 10 + 0
✅ 5 + 5 ✅ 1 + 9
❌ 5 + 4 (only 9)
❌ 6 + 6 (too many!)
🌟 Try in your head
🫘🫘🫘🫘🫘🫘🫘 + ? = 🔟
7 ?
.
.
.
→ 3 more beans 🫘🫘🫘
🔑 Big Rules
✅ 10 can be made many ways.
✅ Zero counts too! 10 + 0 makes 10.
✅ Use fingers or counters to check.
❌ 5 + 5 is not the only way.