1st Grade · Math · 1.NBT.A.1, 1.OA.C.6, 1.NBT.B.2

Base 10 Blocks Lesson Plan for 1st Grade

A ready-to-teach base 10 blocks lesson for 1st Grade. Everything below is classroom-tested structure: an objective, a 45-minute sequence, a way to check who got it, and 6 printable practice pages.

Approximately 45 minutes

Learning objective

Count objects arranged in a ten frame up to 10
Use ten frame structure to visualize and count quantities
Connect ten frame representations to written numerals

Materials

Counting with ten frames
Making 10 with ten frames
Addition with ten frames
Counting using base 10 blocks
Breaking a number into tens and ones
Addition with base 10 blocks
Pencils, and whiteboard space for the modeled examples

Lesson steps

1. Warm up together (5 min)
Open with a quick count-around or number talk that touches base 10 blocks. Ask students where they have seen base 10 blocks outside of math class. You are listening for who already has the vocabulary and who does not, so keep it light and let several students answer.
2. Model it (I do) (10 min)
Work two examples of base 10 blocks on the board, thinking out loud the whole way. Say the quiet parts: what you notice first, which step you do next, and why. Deliberately make one small error on the second example and let the class catch it.
3. Practice together (we do) (10 min)
Work three more problems as a class. Ask a different student to supply each step rather than the whole answer. If a step stalls, drop back to concrete objects or a drawing before moving on.
4. Independent practice (you do) (15 min)
Hand out "Counting with ten frames". Students work independently while you circulate. Note who is fluent, who is counting on fingers, and who has not started, because that grouping drives tomorrow's small group.
5. Close the loop (5 min)
Pull the class back. Ask one student to explain a problem they got right and one to name something that is still confusing. End on the confusion, not the success, so students learn that naming a gap is normal.

Check for understanding

Collect the practice pages and sort them into three piles: fluent, developing, and not yet. Any student in the third pile needs base 10 blocks retaught in a small group before the class moves on.

Differentiation

Extra support. Students who stall: pull them into a small group and rebuild base 10 blocks with concrete materials or a simpler text before asking for the written work again. Do not send the page home as homework, it will just rehearse the misunderstanding.

Extension. Students who finish early: ask them to write their own base 10 blocks problem for a partner to solve, then check the partner's work. Creating a problem is harder than solving one and it surfaces whether they really understand base 10 blocks.

Skills covered in this lesson

Counting with ten frames · Making 10 with ten frames · Addition with ten frames · Regrouping into blocks of 10 · Counting using base 10 blocks · Breaking a number into tens and ones · Addition with base 10 blocks · Addition · Ten frames · Base 10 blocks

Questions teachers ask about teaching base 10 blocks

How many 1st Grade counting with ten frames worksheets are there?

6 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

What age are counting with ten frames worksheets for?

These are written for 1st Grade students. Use the free preview to judge the fit for a particular child, since the same sheet often works a grade either side.

Are these counting with ten frames worksheets aligned to Common Core?

Yes. Each one shows the Common Core code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Can I use these counting with ten frames worksheets for homeschool?

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 1st Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.