Break Ten (teen minus 9)

Take 9 from the ten (1 is left), then add the loose ones

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About This Practice

Break-ten solves teen − 9 borrowing subtraction: hard to compute directly, so first take 9 from the 10 (leaving 1), then add the loose ones beside the frame. Tap “Take away 9” and watch the nine dots in the frame get crossed out one by one — a tricky borrowing problem becomes two small steps your child already knows.

The ten-frame holds 10 dots with a few more beside it. Tap “Take away 9” and watch nine dots in the frame get crossed out one by one, leaving exactly 1 — so teen − 9 becomes 10 − 9 = 1, plus the loose ones.

MediumEstimated Time: 10minbreak tenborrowingteen minus 9ten-frame

How to Play

  1. Look at the ten-frame holding exactly 10 dots, plus a few loose ones beside it.
  2. Tap “Take away 9” and watch nine dots in the frame get crossed out one by one.
  3. Check what remains inside the frame — it should be exactly 1.
  4. Combine the 1 left in the frame with the loose ones outside: that is teen − 9.
  5. Try another number and check: is the answer always “frame leftover + loose ones”?

Learning Objectives

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