When there are too few ones, one ten trades down for ten ones.
Look at the ones first: can you take them away? If there are enough, just take them away.
If there are too few ones, borrow a ten from the row above. One bead steps down from the tens row and brings ten ones.
Then take the rest away, and move on to the tens.
Carrying goes up and borrowing goes down. They are the same trade, run the other way round.
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more, with the bead frame drawn for each, and an answer key.
43. Open a ten: 5 tens and 11 ones. 11 - 8 = 3 ones, and 5 - 1 = 4 tens.
36. Open a ten: 7 tens and 13 ones. 13 - 7 = 6 ones, and 7 - 4 = 3 tens.
25. The ones row is empty. Open a ten: 3 tens and 10 ones. 10 - 5 = 5 ones, and 3 - 1 = 2 tens.
no. 8 ones is enough to take away 5.
Ask a grown-up to help you tie dried beans or pasta into bundles of ten with elastic bands. Make a number like forty-three. Then a customer asks for nine. You have only three loose ones, so open a bundle! Swap, and be the customer.
Tie dried beans or pasta into bundles of ten with elastic bands. Make 43 and be the customer who asks for 9, so your child must open a bundle.
