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Level 1Grade 1skill: bonds_10· 6 min read

Number Bonds to 10: the Pairs That Make Ten

In short: Number bonds to 10 are the pairs that add up to ten (6+4, 7+3, 5+5...). Find a missing partner by counting up to ten — or, when the ten is already showing, by subtracting the part you can see (10−2=8).

How to find a number bond to 10

A number bond to 10 is just two numbers that click together to make ten: 6 and 4, 7 and 3, 2 and 8. Usually one number is shown and your job is to find its partner — the amount still missing before you reach ten.

The most reliable way in Grade 1 is to count up from the number you already have until you land on ten, and keep track of the jumps on your fingers. The number of fingers you raise is the partner you are looking for.

  1. Start at the number you are given — say 6.
  2. Count on past it until you reach 10: 7, 8, 9, 10.
  3. Count how many fingers you raised while counting — that is 4 fingers.
  4. The missing partner is 4, because 6 + 4 = 10.

The pattern that makes all ten bonds easy Why it works

1 & 9
as you nudge the left part up by one, the right part drops by one

1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6 — watch the right-hand number shrink step by step

5 & 5
the middle bond is the only pair where both halves match

5+5=10, the exact fold-in-half point of ten

0 & 10
zero counts too — ten still needs a partner

10+0=10 and 0+10=10

The two parts of a bond always slide in opposite directions. Nudge one part up by one and its partner must fall by one, because the total is pinned at ten. That means you are not memorising ten separate facts — you are really learning six pairs (0&10, 1&9, 2&8, 3&7, 4&6, 5&5), and each one hands you its subtraction for free: once you know 7+3=10, you also know 10−7=3 and 10−3=7.

Worked examples

7 + ? = 10 = 3, because 7 + 3 = 10
  1. Start at 7 and count up: 8, 9, 10.
  2. That is 3 counts.
  3. So the partner is 3.
? + 2 = 10 = 8, because 8 + 2 = 10
  1. You know one part is 2 and the whole is 10.
  2. Take 2 away from 10: 10 − 2 = 8.
  3. The missing part is 8.
5 + ? = 10 = 5, because 5 + 5 = 10
  1. Count up from 5: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  2. That is 5 counts.
  3. This is the special double — both parts are the same.
10 + ? = 10 (tricky) = 0, because 10 + 0 = 10
  1. You already have all ten.
  2. Nothing more is needed to reach ten.
  3. The missing part is 0.
You have 8 marbles. How many more make 10? = 2, because 8 + 2 = 10
  1. Start at 8 and count up to 10: 9, 10.
  2. That is 2 counts.
  3. You need 2 more marbles.
Which number makes ten with 9? (tricky) = 1, because 9 + 1 = 10
  1. Start at 9 and count up: just 10.
  2. That is only 1 count.
  3. Nine is so close to ten that it only needs 1.

Common mistakes

Landing one short (or one long)

✗ 5

For 6 + ? = 10 the answer is 4, but a lot of children say 5. It happens when they count the starting number itself: touching '6' as they say seven — 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 — raises five fingers instead of four. The count begins one notch too early.

Fix: Say the number you start on silently, then only raise a finger for each new number after it: 7 (one), 8 (two), 9 (three), 10 (four).

off_by_one

Adding when you should take away

✗ 13

For 3 + ? = 10 the answer is 7, but adding the two visible numbers gives 10 + 3 = 13. When the whole (10) is already showing, you do not add to it — you find the gap by taking the known part away from ten.

Fix: Remember the total is fixed at 10. To find a missing part, subtract: 10 − 3 = 7. If your answer is bigger than 10, you have added by mistake.

wrong_operation

Answering with the number you can already see

✗ 6

For ? + 6 = 10 the answer is 4, but some children write 6 — they hand back the number that was shown instead of finding what it pairs with. They have reversed which slot is missing, solving for the part that was never the question.

Fix: Point to the empty box and ask, 'what does 6 need to reach 10?' Count up from 6 to 10 — that is 4 — and put 4 in the box, not the 6 you started with.

reversed_operands

Practice number bonds to 10

Find each missing partner so the two numbers make exactly ten. Count up from the number you are given until you reach ten, then check by adding the two parts back together to make sure they land on ten.

Where this leads next

Next up

Frequently asked questions

What are the number bonds to 10?

They are all the pairs of whole numbers that add up to ten: 0+10, 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5, and each of those the other way round. Learning these six pairs covers every bond to ten.

Why do number bonds to 10 matter so much?

Ten is the base of our whole number system, so bonds to ten are the building blocks for adding past ten, subtracting, and later doing mental maths quickly. A child who knows 7+3=10 instantly has a shortcut for hundreds of harder sums.

How can my child practise bonds to 10 at home?

Use ten fingers, ten small objects, or a ten-frame. Hide some under a cup, show the rest, and ask how many are hidden. Because the total is always ten, every round rehearses a bond without feeling like a worksheet.

Does the order of the two numbers matter?

No. 4+6 and 6+4 both make ten, because adding can be done in either order. That is why there are really only six pairs to learn rather than ten separate facts.

My child keeps answering one too many or one too few. Why?

That is the classic off-by-one slip: they count the starting number as their first jump. Have them say the start number silently and only raise a finger for each new number after it, up to ten.