Max Conquers the Olympic Stadium: Add-Ten Challenge!

About this Grade 1 Adding Multiples Of 10 Drill

Adding multiples of 10 is a foundational skill that helps first graders recognize patterns in our number system and build mental math fluency. When children understand that 20 + 30 = 50, they're learning that tens work just like ones—a critical insight for place value understanding. This skill makes counting faster and easier, which boosts confidence when solving word problems. By mastering multiples of 10, your child develops the mental shortcuts that athletes and everyday problem-solvers use to calculate quickly. These patterns also prepare students for two-digit addition later in the year. Most importantly, this drill builds automaticity—the ability to answer without counting on fingers—which frees up mental energy for more complex math thinking.

What your student will practice

• Recognize and count by tens from 10 to 100
• Add two multiples of 10 using place value understanding
• Apply adding-multiples-of-10 to solve simple word problems
• Use skip-counting or visual models to verify addition answers

Common mistakes to watch for

The most common error is when students try to add the tens as if they were individual ones, writing 2 + 3 = 5 instead of recognizing that 20 + 30 = 50. You might also notice children counting by ones (1, 2, 3...) instead of by tens (10, 20, 30...) when solving these problems. Some first graders will correctly add the tens digits but forget to write the zero in the ones place, writing '5' instead of '50.' If your child shows these patterns, ask them to use ten-frames or draw circles in groups of 10 to make the tens visible before adding.