1st Grade Tens and Ones to 99 Worksheet: Split Each Number

Ask a six-year-old what the 7 in 78 means, and the answer is often just "seven". Knowing that it stands for seventy takes time. This 1st grade tens and ones to 99 worksheet gives that idea a simple routine. Twelve boxes each show a number followed by two dotted lines, one for tens and one for ones. The first box is done as an example, so your child sees that 52 splits into 5 tens and 2 ones. The other eleven range from 3 to 99. Several numbers end in zero, and two have no tens at all, so each box asks for real thought. A second page gives the answer key.

Why each digit has its own job

In two-digit numbers, the position of a digit tells its value. The tens digit on the left counts groups of ten; the ones digit on the right counts what is left. So 78 is seven tens and eight ones, not seven and eight.

This is place value, and it is the base of nearly all later work with numbers: adding with tens, comparing, and rounding.

The page mixes cases on purpose. Numbers like 90 and 30 have zero ones; 3 and 5 have zero tens. Finally, 11 and 99 repeat the same digit twice, with a different meaning each time. Your child sees that the same 1 or 9 can be worth ten times more. One digit, two values.

At the table: 3, 5 and 11

Read the example together. Point to the 5 in 52 and ask, "How many tens is that?" Next, point to the 2.

The one-digit numbers, 3 and 5, are the likely slip. Some children write 3 tens, because the digit sits first in the box. If that happens, ask, "Is three bigger or smaller than ten?" Let your child decide what goes on the tens line.

The number 11 can also confuse, since both digits look the same. You might ask, "Does this first 1 mean one, or ten?"

For 90 and 30, a child may leave the ones line blank. Ask, "How many ones are there?" A zero is a real answer. Writing it shows understanding.

Bundles at home and a number tree

Tens and ones become clearer with things you can hold. Bundle craft sticks in groups of ten with a rubber band, then build 34 or 81 and count the bundles and the singles. Also, look at a calendar together and ask how many tens are in today's date.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr. sends the numbers from 1 to 100 climbing up an apple tree. While you read, stop on a number and ask your child to tap the tens digit and the ones digit.

Once your child finishes the page, check it with the answer key together. Then praise the work: "You knew which digit meant tens every time."