Kindergarten Count by Tens Worksheet with Acorns and Purple Flowers

Our number system rests on tens: ten ones make a ten, and ten tens make a hundred. Therefore, counting by tens is the first time a child uses that structure out loud.

Each of these strips of ten stands for one ten. So the child counts strips, not flowers, and says ten, twenty, thirty. That is a big leap.

The nine choices also include numbers like 15, 45 and 55. However, they end in five, not zero. So a child who checks the last digit discovers something about multiples of ten without a lecture.

Start with the flowers. Ask your child to count the first strip one by one. When they reach ten, say, "So each strip is ten." Then touch each strip and count together.

The acorn box is longer, so a child may lose track of the strips they already counted and color 50. Instead of correcting, say, "Let's put a finger on each strip." A small tick at the end of each strip helps too.

Also watch for 45 or 55. If you see one, ask, "Does counting by tens ever end in five?" Let your child check the strips again.

Hide and Seek gives you a natural reason to count by tens. The seeker covers their eyes and counts, "Ten, twenty, thirty," all the way up to one hundred. It is far quicker than counting by ones, which children enjoy.

On an autumn walk, collect acorns or leaves and lay them in lines of ten. Then count the lines together. At home, try it with dry pasta. These moments make counting to 100 part of play.

Once your child colors the last circle, praise the work: "You counted every strip as one ten."