Rainbow Ten Frame Set

(Wife): I'm a former elementary ESL teacher in a school that had us in the classroom, even for math. I bought this set because I am now homeschooling our kid. This five frame / ten frame set is fantastic! Let me try to explain why.I think we all realize that math instruction has changed since we were kids. The five frames / ten frames are visualization tools that can be used for computation, algebraic reasoning, patterns, multiplication -- that kind of thing. In most of my examples, I used little trinkets I bought here and there: beads, poms, eraser tips, but the kit comes with counters that are blue on one side and green on the other. The idea with the ten frames (and trinkets) is to make math kid-friendly.But how do you use the five-frames and ten frames?Okay, starting in kindergarten, you can use a five-frame to show combinations of five. What do I mean?5+ 0 = 54+1 = 53+2 = 52+3 = 51+4 = 50+5=5The way I show this to my kid is by going left-to-right, top-to-bottom as a general rule. When I am using the counters and want to, say, show 1+1+3 = 5, what I can do is alternate colors - for example, one blue, followed by one green, followed by three blue. If I want to, I can then flip it around and write 3+1+1 = 5.You can use five frames and ten frames to break down numbers of two or more - for examples, 4= 1+3 and 3 = 2+1, until you end up with 1+1+1+1+1 = 5, in the example of a combination of 5 on a five-frame.So, kids end up learning different math properties this way.The idea is to start teaching kids visualization, automaticity, algebraic reasoning.... in other words, number sense.But how do you set it up?Well, they are somewhat open-ended; but I generally go from top to bottom, left-to-right, just like how we read. In one photo example, a five-frame is read from bottom to top. You can do it that way, too, depending on how you have it set up. The choice is ultimately yours, although I would recommend certain conventions, probably moreso for classroom settings when you have students with visual-spatial-type learning disabilities.If you are combining three or more groups using the provided counters, you can alternate colors; although you may wish to add an additional small trinket group in there, to be sure all groups remain clearly distinct.Because this set provides both ten frames and five frames, you can form arrays by attaching them using them vertically. (You can just put them next to each other beneath to keep going if you want to build bigger arrays.)What are arrays? Groups of groups - in other words, multiples. It's a way of teaching multiplication.Hopefully one of my pictures also shows that you can put the frames together for patterns.You can likewise use these to teach subtraction. Division would probably be a bit trickier but might still be doable, if you set it up right - and also depending on the size of your initial group.Happy math learning! = )

I purchased this product to be used as a teaching tool a few months ago. My hope was that it would help my student master basic addition. It worked so well, I sent it home with the parent. Within 2 weeks the parent returned the tool, and then I sent it home with another parent whose child was struggling with addition. Since that time, I've used this tool with multiple students and I've used it to help students master addition and subtraction. I lend it out so regularly that I've decided I need to order another one. It has become one of my favorite tools for teaching 1st - 3rd graders and struggling 4th graders.There are many strategies for helping a child master addition but in my experience, helping a child concretely visualize when 2 numbers add up to 10 is a vital skill. This tool makes that clear. And if a child struggles so much that they are anxious about their answer this tool is a MUST becomes it helps build confidence. (Note: Increasing a child's confidence is the most IMPORTANT aspect of teaching a struggling student)

Great resource! Number sense and math

I absolutely loved this set! I was originally a bit confused as to what I would get based on the description and other feedback. Let me start by saying that all the pieces are magnetic. The ten frames are included. There is some "assembly/disassembly" needed when you first get the set. It arrived as magnetic sheets. You simply pop out the circles. The circles have a a little square frame around them that can be tossed, but I up cycled mine by gluing the students' school pictures on some card stock backing and gluing that to the square magnetic frame that held the circle dots= magnet picture keepsakes for the parents and less waste. As for the actual product-we loved it in my kindergarten classroom. It really helped giving a visual and kinestetic approach to addition, subtraction, and subutizing. As I move on to higher grade levels, I can see myself using this item for basic fraction/percent introduction.

Absolutely am in love with these l0 frames. My son even likes them. Less paper to use and the chips are nice as well makes counting so much easier for him. I wish I had found these last year. They are a sturdy plastic. You get 10 and 5 frames as well as a bunch of chips. They fill a snack baggie. They are able to be separated by 10 and 5. I needed to put it all into a bit a bigger box so my son can get without dumping it all.

This is a great tool for teaching number bonds to students who needs help visualising numbers. The instructions are sparse but with some imagination there are quite a few activities you can do with these. My issue isn't with the usefulness of the product itself but with the build quality. I guess this is OK for home use but as a teacher I do not see this as a classroom grade product; the decal that wraps around the whiteboard will be picked off by the kids.++Pros+++Clear dark lines against a white background+Good soft foam magnetic counters that won't shatter or lose strength when dropped multiple times on the floor+Counter's magnetic strength is just right; not too strong but not too weak that it drops off or move when shaken about+small light and well balanced for tiny hands--Cons---Lines are NOT PRINTED on the whiteboards; the lines are printed on a decal which wraps around the whiteboard-Little if any instructions provided and no real activity is listed in the one page instructionAt the end of the day this is just a tool. It is up to you as a parent and/or teacher to use your imagination and creativity to come up with an engaging learning experience for the child. That and you must get your questioning technique right... only then will this tool serves it's purpose. That said I'm no English teacher and it isn't my native language so excuse me if there are any grammatical errors in my review.

Highly recommend