Ten-frame activities are a great way to help students see, visualize, and represent numbers in multiple ways. They’re also an essential tool for learning how to use and apply numbers. Incorporating ten-frame activities into your number sense lesson plans is a great way to help students develop these important skills.

After introducing ten frames and familiarizing your students with this tool, you can use ten frames and twenty frames in a variety of engaging ways in the classroom.

This ten-frame worksheet puts students’ addition and subtraction skills to the test. Students are provided with a model of the first number in the equation and must cross off or mark circles to show subtraction.

Through this activity, students demonstrate their ability to subtract numbers up to 20 using a ten frame.

Flexible Classroom Uses for These Ten and Twenty Frame Worksheets

This addition and subtraction worksheet pack is easy to implement and can be used in a variety of classroom settings, including:

• Independent practice – Use the worksheets for students to apply addition and subtraction strategies on their own after explicit instruction.
• Small-group instruction – Work through the activities together to model how to add to or take away from ten and twenty frames step by step.
• Early finisher tasks – Use these worksheets as a meaningful activity for students who complete their work early.

Thanks to the strong visual supports and predictable layout, these worksheets are suitable for a range of ability levels and learning needs.

Easily Prepare This Addition and Subtraction Worksheet Pack for Your Students

Use the dropdown arrow on the Download button to select either the black-and-white PDF or the editable Google Slides version of this resource, making it easy to adapt for print or digital use.

Lindsey Phillips, a teacher from Michigan and a TeachStarter collaborator, contributed to this resource.

More Addition and Subtraction Resources to Explore

Looking for more ways to strengthen students’ addition and subtraction skills? Check out more activities below.

teaching resource

Word Problem Solving Mats

Use these 1st grade addition and subtraction solving mats to support students as they practice solving word problems.

teaching resource

Addition and Subtraction Within 20 Teaching Presentation

Introduce early addition and subtraction strategies to your students with this teaching presentation.

teaching resource

Color by Number Addition and Subtraction Worksheets

Combine math and art with our color by number addition and subtraction worksheets that feature problems with solutions up to 20.