Chapter 4: Making 10

We have 9 friends already , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Now we meet the very special number , 10! And then we go further, all the way to 20!

What we'll do in this chapter

• Learn the number 10.
• Count from 10 up to 20.
• See how 10 is made of two digits: 1 and 0.
• Make groups of ten with sticks, beads or fingers.

The big idea

When you have 9 mangoes and someone gives you one more, you have ten! Ten is written like this: 10. It uses two digits , a 1 and a 0.

Ten is a big day in counting. After 9, we don't get a single new sign. Instead, we start putting numbers together. So 10 is "one ten and zero ones".

Then we keep going:

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Try saying them out loud: ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty!

Look at your two hands. Each hand has 5 fingers. Together they make 10. That is why 10 is a friendly number , it lives on our fingers!

When we have 20 things, we can make two groups of ten. That is the secret of bigger numbers , they are just groups of ten plus a few more.

Let's play!

🖐️🖐️ Ten Fingers

Hold up both your hands and count your fingers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10! Now wiggle them all. You have ten fingers , that is a beautiful 10.

🪙 Bundle of Ten

Take 10 sticks (or matchsticks, or pencils). Tie them together with a rubber band. That is one bundle of ten! Now take 3 more loose sticks. Together that makes 13 , one bundle and three.

🎲 Count to 20

Jump like a frog. Count each jump: 1, 2, 3 … keep going until 20! Did you make it? Try again, but this time clap each number.

🍬 Make 10 with a Friend

You take 6 toffees. Ask a friend to take 4 toffees. Put them together , that's 10! Now try 7 and 3. Now 8 and 2. Many friends make 10!

A small story

Aman went to the market with his father. They bought 10 lemons. Father tied them in a small jute bag. On the way home, they bought 5 more lemons. "How many now?" asked father. Aman counted carefully , "10 and 5… that is 15 lemons, papa!" Father gave him a high-five.

Quick check

1. What number comes after 9?
2. Show 10 using your fingers.
3. Count from 10 to 20.
4. Which is more , 14 or 18?
5. If you have 8 toffees and your sister gives you 2 more, how many do you have?

What did we learn?

• After 9 comes the special number 10.
• We count: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
• Ten things together is one bundle of ten , a big helper for bigger numbers.