The Make Ten strategy is a widely used mental math approach that helps students develop fluency with addition within 20. Instead of counting each object individually, students break apart one number in order to “bridge” to ten. For example, when solving 8 + 6, a student can move 2 from the 6 to the 8 to make 10, leaving 4, resulting in 10 + 4 = 14.
Research and classroom practice show that using visual tools such as ten frames and counters helps students build strong mental images of number relationships and understand how numbers can be decomposed and recombined. Because our place value system is built around groups of ten, developing this understanding supports later work with larger numbers and place value concepts. This game develops that concept.
Ten frames are especially powerful because they allow students to see and physically move quantities. When students place counters on two ten frames and then slide counters from one frame to another to complete a group of ten, they begin to understand that the total quantity does not change even though the numbers are reorganized. This concrete experience helps students move from counting strategies toward more efficient mental strategies. Over time, repeated practice with these visual models helps students internalize number relationships and perform addition mentally without needing the physical counters.
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