What this worksheet helps children practise
Ask for the total before looking at the choices. Encourage groups of ten while allowing children to count individual dots to check.
This activity connects an organized quantity with its written numeral. Each ten frame has two rows of five spaces, so a full frame represents ten berries. Children learn to see twenty in two full frames and add the ones without counting every dot again from one. The collection of thirty fills all three frames and introduces another complete ten. Grade level is a guide: children should already be able to count a small set and read numbers beyond twenty. The purpose is to understand grouping, without a time limit. For a related skill, use Counting to 20 Worksheet: Apple Baskets: Circle ten apples, count the remaining apples, and write the total.
Preparing a short session
Print at actual size on A4 paper and provide a pencil. Keep the answer key out of sight initially. Count the spaces in a ten frame together, using a blank frame or a quick drawing: five across the top and five across the bottom. Explain that each black dot stands for one berry. The three frames on a row form one collection. The three numerals on the right are possible answers, not quantities to add together. Children circle just one answer on each row.
A concrete example to get started
The model has two full trays and three berries in the last tray. Say ten, twenty, then twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. The equation 10 + 10 + 3 = 23 connects the picture to the written number. Ask what the 2 and the 3 in 23 represent: two tens and three ones. A child may count every berry the first time to check, then try recognizing the two full trays without recounting their individual dots.
Supporting the activity
Work on one row at a time and cover the others if helpful. Ask how many trays are full and how many berries are in the last tray. Have the child say the total before reading the three options. If a neighboring number is chosen, revisit the dots in the last frame. If the digits are confused, name the tens and ones. Each row is independent; the six answers do not form a counting sequence. The correct choice changes position. Hugo needs the quantity of each collection, not a guess based on where an answer appears. To vary the practice, try Blank Ten Frame Printable: 20 Easy-Cut Counters: Cut out the squares with an adult, then place one counter in each space.
What to notice and how to check
From top to bottom, the six answers are 21, 24, 27, 29, 22 and 30. The key circles the matching number on each row. Check that two full frames are understood as twenty and that empty spaces in the last frame are not counted. For 30, three full frames make three tens with no extra ones. Ask the child to explain one answer by pointing to the frames. A misplaced circle or difficulty reading a numeral does not necessarily mean the quantity was misunderstood.
Making the task easier
Show only two rows and say “ten, twenty” together. The child then counts only the berries in the final tray.
Keep the learning aim, but reduce how much the child has to handle at once. Cover part of the page with another sheet and reveal one task at a time. Demonstrate a separate example, then leave a real opportunity to work something out. An answer reached with support is still a useful attempt; it does not yet show that the same task can be completed independently.
Taking the idea beyond the worksheet
Use three blank ten frames and counters to make another quantity from 21 to 30. Ask the child to explain its tens and ones.
Use the follow-up to meet the same idea in a different setting. Offer it once the first task makes sense, without insisting that the whole page must be perfect. The child might explain a strategy, make an example or set a challenge for an adult. Return to the worksheet only when it helps connect the two situations. A short conversation or a practical activity can be enough to finish the session. To continue exploring, use Tens and Ones to 99: Count the tens rods and single squares. Complete each table.
Downloading and printing the PDF
This free PDF contains one worksheet designed for A4 paper. Download the file using the button on this page and open it in your PDF reader. Choose actual size or a 100% scale, check the orientation in the print preview and turn off any browser headers or footers. The illustrations use vector lines, so their outlines stay sharp when printed. Check the margins on one copy before preparing several sheets for a group. The level shown on the page is a guide, rather than a requirement to complete the activity at a particular age.