Ways to Make 10
Making 10 is the single most important computational strategy in early arithmetic. A student who knows all the ways to make 10 and who can use that knowledge to simplify additions has a permanent mental math advantage. 8+5 becomes 10+3 because 8 needs 2 to make 10, and taking 2 from the 5 leaves 3. This strategy eliminates almost all counting-on-fingers dependency for sums to 20.
All the ways to make 10
The ten pairs (0+10, 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5 and their reverses) are the atomic facts of addition. Every efficient strategy beyond counting on uses these pairs. Students should know them through rich concrete experience with ten-frames and number talks, not through drill.
The making-10 addition strategy
To add 8+6: I need 2 more to make 10, and I can take 2 from the 6, leaving 4. So 8+6 = 10+4 = 14. This three-step reasoning replaces counting with structure. Students who can explain this demonstrate genuine computational understanding, not memorization.
First Peoples connections
Traditional First Peoples counting methods used groups of 5 (one hand) as the primary benchmark, with 10 (two hands) following naturally. Songs, stories, and counting games in local First Peoples languages reinforce these benchmarks in culturally meaningful ways. Elders and knowledge keepers can share counting traditions that connect mathematics to community.