1st Grade Make a Ten to Add Worksheet
Add within 20 by making a ten first: take from one number to fill the other up to 10, then add the rest.
- Homework
- Morning Work
- Centers
- Intervention
Download the Free Printable PDF
No sign-up required. Clean, low-ink US Letter format.
- Grade
- 1st Grade
- Subject
- Math
- Skill
- Addition
- Topic
- make-a-ten addition strategy
- Difficulty
- Standard
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Pages
- 2 (incl. answer key)
- Format
- Printable PDF (US Letter)
- Answer key
- Included
- Best for
- homework, morning work, centers, intervention
Worksheet details
What This Worksheet Practices
Students will add within 20 by breaking a number apart to make a ten first.
- Finding how many more make 10
- Breaking a number apart
- Adding within 20 using a ten
Inside This Printable
Student directions: Add by making a ten first. Fill one number up to 10, then add what is left.
Worked example
8 + 5: 8 needs 2 to make 10; 3 are left; 10 + 3 = 13.
Sample questions
- 8 + 5 =
- 9 + 4 =
- 7 + 6 =
The PDF contains 8 practice questions plus 2 challenge questions.
Worksheet Preview
Make a friendly ten first
Ten is the easiest number to add to, so a powerful strategy is to make a ten first. To solve 8 + 5, fill the 8 up to 10 (it needs 2), which leaves 3 - then 10 + 3 = 13. This strategy leans on the number pairs that make 10 and sets up all the place-value work to come.
How to use it
Ask “how many more make 10?”, take that amount from the other number, then add what’s left. Ten-frames make the move concrete. Pairs with the doubles-plus-one strategy and builds on addition facts to 10.
👩🏫 Teacher note
For 8 + 5, ask how many make 10 from 8 (2), take 2 from the 5 to make 10, then add the leftover 3: 10 + 3 = 13. Ten-frames make this visible.
🏠 Parent note
Fill one number up to 10 first. 8 + 5: 8 needs 2 to make 10, and 3 are left, so 10 + 3 = 13.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Breaking apart the wrong addend
- Forgetting to add the leftover part
Answer Key
Each answer shows the sum.
⬇ Download Answer Key (PDF)Learn this skill first
Take the free lesson on addition — worked examples and practice exercises, then come back to this worksheet.
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