Little Learners · Ages 5 to 7
Bridging Through Ten Fill-in
Add by making ten first, with the strategy written out. Five levels of printable practice with answer keys.
The learning journey
Every activity is one step. Here is where this one fits.
- PlayLearn the idea in a game
- Practise(you are here)Lock it in on paper
- ReviewCome back and keep it sharp
- MasterTake on a harder challenge
- AchieveEarn a certificate
About Bridging Through Ten Fill-in
Bridging through ten is the strategy that turns eight plus five from a counting problem into a two-second one: take two from the five to fill the eight up to ten, then add the three that is left. This worksheet teaches the method rather than testing the answer, which is why every question prints the intermediate step. A child sees eight plus five rewritten as eight plus two plus three and completes the total, so the split is in front of them on every line instead of being something the teacher said once. A worksheet that printed only the bare sum would be indistinguishable from ordinary addition practice, and the strategy — the entire reason the sheet exists — would go untaught. Every problem on the page genuinely crosses ten; none of them can be answered without bridging, so the method never becomes optional. Twelve questions per page in two columns, with the range of starting numbers widening across the five levels. Each level prints as a clean A4 sheet in black and white and downloads with its own separate answer key. The matching on-screen game is Bridging Ten Bridge.
Common questions
- Why is the middle step printed?
- Because the strategy is what is being taught. A sheet showing only the bare sum would be ordinary addition practice and the method would go untaught.
- Do all the questions cross ten?
- Yes. Every problem genuinely needs bridging, so the method never becomes optional.
- What is bridging through ten?
- Filling the first number up to ten, then adding whatever is left of the second — so 8 + 5 becomes 8 + 2 + 3.
- Is an answer key included?
- Yes. Every level downloads with its own separate answer key PDF.
A hand for grown-ups
- Before you start
- Have something countable nearby. Being able to check "3 and 2 really is 5" by counting builds trust in the maths.
- While they work
- If a sum is hard, suggest counting on from the bigger number rather than counting both from one. It is a real strategy, not a crutch.
- Afterwards
- Try one together out loud, talking through how you worked it out. Hearing an adult think aloud is genuinely useful.
- Watch out for
- Counting both numbers from one every time. Nudge gently towards "start at the bigger one and count on".
- Away from the screen
- Add up small shopping items, or dots on two dice. Board games with dice are addition practice in disguise.
Where to go next
Chosen by the skills this activity practises.