First graders are studying all about ten in math. They have expanded their math vocabulary with words like “sum” and “tens frame.” They began their study playing games like Mystery Penny Plate to explore all the variations that can make ten. In Penny Plate, the players begin with ten pennies. One partner covers his/her eyes while the other hides an unknown number of pennies under a plate- the other play must guess how many pennies are missing! After becoming experts at making ten, they began exploring how to decompose ten using manipulatives to represent red and green apples. Mathematicians had to find all the combinations of red and green apples to make ten. In this exercise, students combined their knowledge of turn around facts to find every combination. Ask your child about other games like Tens Frame Top It!