Session 1 Script: Ten-Frame Triumph

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Good morning! Today we have a special tool called a ten-frame. Look at this grid on the screen. What do you notice? How many boxes do you see?”

Allow student time to respond. If student counts correctly, praise: “Yes! You counted all five boxes in the top row and five in the bottom row—a total of ten boxes.” If they struggle, gently count aloud together: “One, two, three, four, five—top row; one, two, three, four, five—bottom row.”

Teacher: “This grid is called a ten-frame. It helps us see numbers quickly. Let’s sing a counting chant from one to five while we tap our fingers or counters in each box. Ready? One, two, three, four, five!”

Direct Instruction (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Now I’m going to place counters in this ten-frame. Watch me and listen closely.”
• “Here is one counter. One.” Place counter in the first top-left box.
• “Here is two. Two.” Place second counter to the right.
• “Three, four, five.” Continue left-to-right until you have five counters.

Teacher: “Notice I always place counters left to right, top row first. That helps me keep track of my counting and makes sure I don’t miss any boxes.”

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Your turn now! Here is your ten-frame mat and a pile of counters. I will say a number, and you place that many counters. Then we’ll count together to check. Let’s try three.”

Wait for student to place counters.
Teacher: “Great! Let’s count: one, two, three. You have three counters—perfect!”

Teacher: “Now I’ll call out some more numbers in a random order: five, one, four, two. Remember to start left and move right!”

*Offer praise for correct placements (“Awesome job counting!”) or gentle correction if needed (“Let’s count again together—one, two, three, four.”).

Game Activity (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Now it’s game time with our Ten-Frame Counting Game Cards. I’ll shuffle and draw a card. You’ll see either dots or a numeral. Fill your ten-frame to match. For each correct fill, you earn a point. Ready?”
1. Shuffle and draw first card.
2. Teacher: “This card shows four dots. How many counters will you place?”
3. Student fills frame.
Teacher: “Let’s count them together—one, two, three, four. That’s four! You earned one point!”
4. Continue for 3–5 cards total, keeping a simple tally.

Independent Practice Worksheet (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Here’s your Ten-Frame Practice Worksheet. Let’s do the first one together. It shows a ten-frame with two missing counters—can you fill them and count the total?”

Model filling and counting: “One, two, three, four, five. There are five counters.”

Teacher: “Great! Now you finish the rest on your own. Take your time, and I’ll come check each problem when you’re done.”

Recap & Next Steps (2–3 minutes)

Teacher: “You did an amazing job today! We learned what a ten-frame is, practiced counting one to five, and used counters to match numbers. We even played a fun game! Next time, we’ll count all the way to ten and learn how to break numbers apart inside our ten-frame. I can’t wait to see you then!”

Ten-Frame Practice Worksheet

Name: ____________________ Date: _______________

Part A: Fill the Ten-Frame

1. Fill the ten-frame below to show 3 counters. Then count and write the number.
   

□ □ □ □ □

□ □ □ □ □

Answer: ________

2. Fill the ten-frame below to show 5 counters. Then count and write the number.
   

□ □ □ □ □

□ □ □ □ □

Answer: ________

3. Fill the ten-frame below to show 7 counters. Then count and write the number.
   

□ □ □ □ □

□ □ □ □ □

Answer: ________

Part B: Count the Counters

4. Look at this ten-frame. Count the filled circles and write the total.
   

● ● ● ● □

□ □ □ □ □

How many counters? ________

5. Look at this ten-frame. Count the filled circles and write the total.
   

● ● ● ● ●

□ □ □ □ □

How many counters? ________

6. Look at this ten-frame. Count the filled circles and write the total.
   

● ● ● ● ●

● □ □ □ □

How many counters? ________

Ten-Frame Counting Game Cards

This deck contains 20 cards: 10 numeral cards and 10 dot-pattern cards for numbers 1–10. Shuffle and draw one card at a time; the student fills their ten-frame to match.

Cards:

1. Numeral “1”

2. Dot pattern for 1:
   ● □ □ □ □
   □ □ □ □ □

3. Numeral “2”

4. Dot pattern for 2:
   ● ● □ □ □
   □ □ □ □ □

5. Numeral “3”

6. Dot pattern for 3:
   ● ● ● □ □
   □ □ □ □ □

7. Numeral “4”

8. Dot pattern for 4:
   ● ● ● ● □
   □ □ □ □ □

9. Numeral “5”

10. Dot pattern for 5:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    □ □ □ □ □

11. Numeral “6”

12. Dot pattern for 6:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    ● □ □ □ □

13. Numeral “7”

14. Dot pattern for 7:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    ● ● □ □ □

15. Numeral “8”

16. Dot pattern for 8:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    ● ● ● □ □

17. Numeral “9”

18. Dot pattern for 9:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    ● ● ● ● □

19. Numeral “10”

20. Dot pattern for 10:
    ● ● ● ● ●
    ● ● ● ● ●

Warm-Up: Notice, Name, and Count (5 minutes)

1. Display an empty ten-frame grid on the screen or provide the student with a physical mat.
2. Ask:
   • “What do you notice about this grid?”
   • “How many boxes do you see in the top row? The bottom row?”
3. Count together out loud:
   • Top row: one, two, three, four, five
   • Bottom row: one, two, three, four, five
4. Introduce the term ten-frame:
   “This is called a ten-frame. It helps us see numbers quickly.”
5. Sing a short counting chant from 1–5 while tapping each box or placing a finger in each box:
   “One, two, three, four, five!”
   (Encourage the student to tap their mat or fingers as well.)