Tens and ones worksheet
Forty grade 1 questions: count base-ten rods and cubes, build numbers from tens and ones, split numbers, red-digit values and four short stories.
Download the free tens and ones worksheet (PDF)
Tens and ones worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 40 questions on tens and ones, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grade 1, matching Common Core 1.NBT.B.2
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- Count the rods and cubes: ___ tens ___ ones = ____
- 5 tens and 3 ones =
- 64 = ___ tens ___ ones
- What is the red digit worth? 74
- 2 tens and 15 ones =
- Mia has 4 bags with 10 marbles in each and 6 loose marbles. How many marbles does she have?
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new tens and ones worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh tens and ones worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Tens and ones: a worked example (4 tens and 7 ones)
- A ten is a rod of 10 cubes, so 4 tens is 40.
- 7 ones are 7 single cubes.
- Put them together: 40 + 7 = 47.
- In 47, the 4 is in the tens place and the 7 is in the ones place.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Part A works best with real objects first. Bundle straws or craft sticks in tens with a rubber band, then ask your child to count the bundles before the loose ones. Say the tens and ones out loud every time: “4 tens and 7 ones is 47.” Part E is the stretch: when there are 10 or more ones, they make another ten. The tens and ones lesson has pictures for every step, and the place value practice gives instant feedback. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Writing the digits the wrong way round, so 4 tens and 7 ones becomes 74.
- Counting every cube in a rod one by one instead of counting the rods by tens.
- Reading the red digit as its face value, so the 7 in 74 is worth 7 instead of 70.
- In Part E, writing 2 tens and 15 ones as 215 instead of trading 10 ones for a ten.
What to practice before and after tens and ones
- After: 10 more, 10 less, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the tens and ones lesson and the place value chart.
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Questions parents ask
How do you teach tens and ones?
Start with bundles of 10 objects and loose ones. Count the bundles in tens, then the loose ones, then write the number. Move to drawn rods and cubes, then to digits on their own.
What grade is this tens and ones worksheet for?
It is written for grade 1 and matches Common Core standard 1.NBT.B.2.
Can I get a different version of this tens and ones worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new tens and ones worksheet with different numbers every time. You choose how many questions, and every version comes with its own answer key.