Number bonds mastery

Overview

In this lesson, students practise number bonds to 10 using hands, oral repetition, and simple visual representations drawn in class. They build fluency with addition and related subtraction facts by using what they know about pairs that make 10.

Learning intentions

• Students will find number bonds to 10 by making and stating fact pairs.
• Students will use hands and drawing to show how two parts make 10.
• Students will recall addition facts to 10 and related subtraction facts within 10.
• Students will explain their thinking using simple language stems.

Success criteria

• I can say number pairs that make 10 (for example, 2 and 8).
• I can write or draw bonds to 10 in a simple way.
• I can use a bond to answer an addition or subtraction question.
• I can check my answer using the “make 10” method with my fingers.

Curriculum links

• Number — addition and subtraction / Statutory requirements (Year 1): represent and use number bonds and related subtraction facts within 20.
• Number — addition and subtraction / Statutory requirements (Year 2): recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100.
• Number — number and place value: use place value and number facts to solve problems.
• Identify, represent and estimate numbers using different representations, including the number line (used as a support to show “start + add to 10”).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up (oral bonds). Teacher claps and calls: “10 is… 1 and…?” Students answer together, then in pairs say a bond (e.g., “3 and 7”).
2. 5–12 min · Model (make 10 with fingers). Teacher shows 10 fingers (two hands) and explains: “If I hold 4, then I need 6 more to make 10.” Students mirror with fingers and repeat with 2, 5, 7 (teacher prompts: “I have ___, I need ___.”).
3. 12–18 min · Visual board (draw to show bonds). Teacher draws a quick “ten frame” (two rows of five boxes) and circles 10, then crosses out 3 to show “how many are left?” Students copy one example in their books: 10−3 = 7, and say it aloud as “3 and 7 make 10.”
4. 18–26 min · Interactive practice (bond matching game, no resources). Teacher says a number pair start only as oral prompts: “I say: 4. You say the partner that makes 10.” Students respond in unison, then individually: 4→6, 6→4, 1→9, 8→2.

• Quick twist: teacher gives “addition sentence” orally: “5 + 5 =?” Students answer “10” and also state the bond: “5 and 5 make 10.”

5. 26–34 min · Partner talk (bar model on paper). Teacher draws a simple “part–part–whole” strip: two blanks labelled Part A and Part B, and a box labelled Whole 10. Students choose a pair (teacher shows examples: 2 and 8; 9 and 1) and fill the parts, then read it using a stem: “___ and ___ make 10.” ESOL support: teacher provides sentence frames on the board:

• “I have ___. I need ___ to make 10.”
• “___ + ___ = 10.”
• “10 − ___ = ___.”

6. 34–40 min · Formative check (teacher-led questioning). Teacher asks quick, targeted questions to assess fluency and subtraction links:

• “If we know 6 and 4 make 10, what is 10 − 6?”
• “What bond helps you find 10 − 3?” Students respond using fingers or the visual ten frame teacher drew.

7. 40–45 min · Exit ticket (one page, oral + written). Students complete two items in books:

• “Write one number bond to 10.” (example: 7 + 3)
• “10 − 2 = ___” (answer and say the bond: “2 and 8 make 10.”)

Resources

• Paper or notebooks for students
• Chalk/whiteboard and marker
• Optional: printed or drawn “ten frame” on the board only (teacher draws it; no handouts needed)
• Colour pencils or crayons (optional, for circling parts of the ten frame)
• Sentence frames written on the board for ESOL support

Assessment

• Observe during warm-up: can students answer partner bonds quickly and accurately?
• Listen during partner talk: can students use the sentence stems to explain “I need ___ to make 10”?
• Targeted questioning at 34–40 min: can students use a known bond to answer related subtraction?
• Exit ticket: correct bond pair and correct related subtraction within 10

Differentiation

• Support for ESOL/SEN: sentence starters on the board; encourage “fingers first, then words”; allow oral answers before writing; use consistent visuals (same ten frame layout every time).
• Support language learners with chunking: always model the pattern “I have ___, I need ___.”
• Extension for quick finishers: ask for two different bonds for the same number (e.g., “What are two ways to make 10 using 5?” → 5+5 only, then try different starts like 4 and 6).
• EAL-friendly checking: accept answers first in oral form, then guide to written form (e.g., “Say it, point to it, write it”).