What’s one of the trickiest kindergarten math skills? Tricky teen numbers! Kids need to work with teen numbers using hands-on lessons that allow them to make them with various tools and strategies. Check out these hands-on math lessons that helped students master those pesky teen numbers. No more two-teen for us!


Kindergarten Math: Teen Numbers
Our first lesson is using our giant base ten blocks! If you can make it giant, always make it giant! It’s just more interesting! These giant manipulatives really help students see the idea of ten and some more! We introduce teen numbers and the rod and cube. I display the manipulatives and students count and write the equation on their whiteboards.


Then we do guided practice and independent practice using plastic base ten blocks! I show a number card and the students build the number and write the equation.


Students then used their understanding of base ten blocks to transfer the idea to ten frames. They were able to explain the relationship between a ten-frame and a rod and use their ten frames to build teen numbers. They were also able to use addition and subtraction skills to make teen numbers

Kindergarten Math: Teen Number Activities
Another lesson challenged students to build teen numbers after listening to a story. This lesson required students to understand the concept of ten and some more. After hearing the story, they had to build the teen number by putting 10 animals into a “pen” and some more animals outside the pen.

Teen Numbers: Feed The Monster
Our final lesson was to FEED THE MONSTER! Draw a monster on poster board. Add sticky notes. Easy kindergarten math lesson. Students were challenged to feed the monster a teen number. One color of sticky notes was 10 and stayed on the monster. The studetns used a second color of sticky notes to make the teen number by counting on and adding “some more” to the ten!

Teen Number Worksheets And More!
We also use our teen numbers worksheets and small group tools for centers and extra practice for kids who need it!




For more math lessons and resources, check out these posts:



