Take Ten

Goal: Predict whether the floor (or table) will be clean if everyone picks up 10 things, then try it and see

1. Is 10 enough?

At clean-up time, choose something children can count and as they pick up, such as crayons scattered on a table or toys on the floor.

Ask for predictions about whether picking up 10 items per person will do the job:

If each person picks up 10 items from the floor, do you think we’ll get them all put away?

2. Take 10

Each child counts and puts away 10 items (or fewer if there aren’t enough).

3. Are we done?

If everything is picked up, children count by 10 to find the total number of items put away.

Otherwise, ask if they think they would get everything put away if everyone took another 10 (or, if there are only a few objects remaining, another 2).

Continue until everything is picked up.

 

Variations

Take 5 (Grades K, 1, 2)
For less challenge, children take 5 objects at a time.

 

Estimate and Count (Grades K, 1, 2)
For more challenge, before taking 10, children estimate the total number of objects scattered about.  Later, they compare their estimates with the actual total.

 

Find Five Outside (Grades K, 1, 2)
To mix counting with nature, introduce children to different types of leaves, plants, trees, or rocks that they can find in a playground or park. Then, everyone tries to find 5 of each type.

Books and Other Resources

Book ideas to come!

Spotlight

Counting

Many young children can recite the counting numbers to 50, 100, or higher, but can only count 10 to 20 objects accurately. Counting objects requires keeping several things in mind: which objects have already been counted, which are left to count, and what number in the counting sequence is next. 

If children are having difficulty counting 10 objects accurately, ask them to count only 5; if they’re finding it easy, next time they can keep track of 20.

Connections

Thinking in tens

Adults rely on tens in daily life. They frequently round numbers to the nearest ten in tasks involving time, money, and amounts: “It will take about 10 minutes.” “It costs about 50 dollars.”

Historians believe that ten plays such an important role because we have ten fingers. When children first learn to count, add, and subtract, they often rely on their fingers. They typically find problems involving numbers up to 10 easiest. With numbers in the teens, you run out of fingers, so there is more to keep track of in your head.

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