VIEN

Tens and Ones

Tie ten sticks into one ten. How many tens and ones make 34?

For ages 5–8 · Math · Free · No ads

Voice
Child's age
Level 1/10

No age chosen yet: your child starts at level 1. Choose an age to apply it to all games.

Levels 1–3 ≈ ages 3–4 · 4–6 ≈ ages 5–6 · 7–10 ≈ grades 1–2

Dashed: outside this game's ages 5–8, still selectable.

What your child learns

  • Counting sticks up to 10 and seeing that 10 sticks tied together make one ten
  • Place value for two-digit numbers: 34 is 3 tens and 4 ones, and the left digit tells the tens
  • Reading a number from bundles and single sticks, building numbers up to 59 with sticks, and filling in "? tens ? ones" for numbers up to 99
  • Comparing two-digit numbers: compare the tens first, and only look at the ones when the tens are the same (47 is smaller than 74)
  • Trading 1 ten for 10 ones: untie a bundle to take sticks away when there are not enough single sticks, and "7 tens and 12 ones make 82", ready for subtraction with regrouping

How to play

  1. Press "Play now". In the first rounds, count the sticks and tap the right number.
  2. Bundling: tap sticks one by one to gather them; at 10 they are tied into one ten. Then pick the card with the right tens and ones.
  3. Building: drag (or tap) bundles of ten and single sticks onto the mat until you have the number, tap something on the mat to take it off, then press "Done".
  4. Fill-in: pick the tens digit, then the ones digit. Taking away: if there are not enough single sticks, tap a bundle to untie it into 10 sticks, take away enough sticks, then pick how many are left.
  5. On a computer: keys 1–4 pick a card, keys 0–9 fill in a digit, and Tab and Enter tap sticks, add sticks and press Done.

For parents

  • Use craft sticks, straws or pencils at home: tie bundles of 10 with a rubber band and ask "How many bundles and how many single sticks? So what number is it?".
  • The wrong cards are the mistakes kids often make: swapping the digits (43 and 34), being off by ten (24 and 34), or forgetting to trade 10 ones for 1 ten (72 instead of 82). When your child picks one, ask which digit tells the tens.
  • Bundling and taking sticks away are never marked wrong: your child does the work, and only the answer is checked. Pressing "Done" with an empty mat only gives a reminder.
  • The Vietnamese version uses the grade 1 terms "chục" (tens) and "đơn vị" (ones), as taught in Vietnamese schools.
  • Getting it right the first time earns a gold star (a silver star if it takes another try). The difficulty adjusts to your child, from counting to 10 up to two-digit numbers and trading tens for ones.