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This video of the book, Ten Flashing Fireflies, is a great book that can be used as a hook to introduce the lesson on composing the number 10. Students are able to see how the fireflies are dragged into the jar. Students can prompted to answer how many are fireflies are in the jar along after the narrator states the number.

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This book can be used a read aloud and students can count the dots as they go through the pages. This can be paired with touch math to help introduce the concept of decomposing the number 10.

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Amazon.com: Ten Black Dots: 9780688135744: Crews, Donald, Crews, Donald: Books

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Students can learn this song and use it while they begin to learn how the number 10 can be decomposed into pairs. Student benefit from seeing the tens-unit placement and the abstract number that goes with it.

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I Can Say My Number Pairs 10 | Math Song for Kids | Number Bonds | Jack Hartmann

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This video is very engaging, informational, and entertaining. Students are given a comprehensive but easy-to-understand explanation what composing and decomposing is.

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Composing Numbers & Decomposing Numbers! | Mini Math Movies | Scratch Garden

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Literacy is important and it's a content area that transcends into all other academic areas. This website provides free online books that students can access to supplement their learning of math.

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If you want to submit a book or have a suggestion/post for inclusion on FKB simply email me - danielle 'at' redskyventures 'dot' org, with the title SUBMISSION FOR FREE KIDS BOOKS. If you don't get a reply it's been intercepted by spam filters!

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These hands-on activities are great because students can use manipulatives to understand number sense while applying them to compose or decompose numbers.

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I'm writing to share decomposing math center activities you can use to reinforce ideas of decomposing. Keep reading to grab the freebie at the end of this blog post.

I have shared decomposing activities before. I love teaching decomposing! It's a tricky concept, but there are TONS of activities you can use to teach this skill to primary learners.

What's Decomposing?

Decomposing is breaking a number into parts. Students are used to working with whole numbers (using objects to make 5) and will now learn that numbers can be broken into parts (2 and 3 are the same as 5). They will decompose numbers drawing and using objects. Some students will be ready to write equations but when we first learn about decomposing, they use words to explain their thinking.

Students are expected to decompose numbers within 10, find the number that makes 10 and solve word problems by decomposing. The goal is to develop students' understanding of numbers, such as learning that numbers are flexible.

Strategies that Work

Here are some strategies you can use to help your students decompose:

1. Teach them the language by modeling - show students how to decompose a number by modeling how to do it. Think aloud as you decompose a number. Invite students to share what they notice or what confuses them and use this time as an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings. Some new vocabulary words you want to use when modeling how to decompose is decomposing, joining and separating.

2. Allow students multiple opportunities and a variety of mediums to show their thinking. Allow them to draw pictures, act it out using their whole bodies and fingers, and using objects.

3. Teach students how to use learning tools such as part-part-whole, number bonds, and ten frames to model how to decompose numbers.

Activities for Decomposing Numbers

Here are some activities for providing students meaningful opportunities to decompose numbers.

Show It 3 Ways

Students pick a number card. They decompose the number using cubes by breaking the cubes into 2 parts. They write an equation or number sentence and draw a picture.

Slide And Decompose

Students put 5 or 10 counters or objects in the circles. Have students slide some counters in the top and bottom rectangles. They write how they decompose the number as an equation or number sentence.

Part-Part-Whole Mat

Students pick a number and decompose it using a Part-Part-Whole Mat.

Number Bonds

After they pick a number, students decompose that number using a number bond.

Huge Number Bond

Bigger can sometimes be better! Students can decompose a number using a big number and write how they decomposed the number on the table (or recording sheet!)

Flip and Decompose

This game is so much fun! Students flip a card and use a ten frame to show how many more objects they need to make 10.

They also practice making 5.

Build and Write the Missing Number

Students choose an equation and use a ten frame to solve the missing number.

Make It 3 Ways

This activity was a huge hit with my students! It's always the simplest games that get my students the most excited! Students pick a target number and decompose that number in 3 ways. You can have them use objects or draw a picture. Then they wrote a sentence or an equation to show how they decomposed the number.

Puzzles, Puzzles, and Puzzles!

My students love puzzles! This is a great partner game and will get your students talking about decomposing. They pick an equation and match it under the correct number.

Solve and Cover

This is a great game to get students thinking about the different ways to decompose a number. They pick a domino, add the numbers to find the sum, and cover the answer on the game board.

Spin and Solve

My students love this hands-on game! Especially since I purchased plastic spinners and they don't have to use a pencil and paper clip anymore (it's the little things that get them excited!). They spin the spinner, figure out how many more they need to make 10, and cover the ten frame that displays that number on the game board.

Make 10!

Students count the coins in the piggy bank and use a ten frame to show how many more they need to make 10.

Math Talk Mat

This is a great activity to help students to develop the vocabulary for decomposing numbers. I teach English as a Second Language and this activity helped with seeing and saying "part" and "whole" numbers. Students pick a number bond and model it using a part-part-whole mat. Then they write how they decomposed the number and share their work with a partner.

Act it Out!

There are 3 Act it Out! word problem mats. Students act out the word problems using objects and record their decomposition by writing an equation or number sentence.

Make 5! Board Game

This is a partner game. One student flips a card over and says if the fingers show a way to make 5 or not make 5. If it is a way to make 5, they move their pawn up one spot. They continue to play until they reach the end.

Phew! That's a lot of decomposing games!

Get Decomposing Math Centers

Do you want all the decomposing math center activities? Click the image below to purchase at my TpT store!

Decomposing Numbers Math Center Freebie

You can never have too many math center activities. Here's a freebie from my Decomposing Math Center packet. You can grab this low-prep activity by completing the form below.

What are some other decomposing activities you have used in your instruction? Let me know in the comments section below.

Happy teaching,

Tee

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The Best Decomposing Math Center Activities - A Kinderteacher Life

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I'm writing to share decomposing math center activities you can use to reinforce ideas of decomposing. Keep reading to grab the freebie at the end of this blog post. I have shared decomposing activities before. I love teaching decomposing! It's a tricky concept, but there are TONS of activities you can use to teach this skill to primary learners.

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Utilizing technology, students can enhance their understanding of composition up to the number ten through the use of digital manipulatives. Students benefit from understanding how to utilize learning websites in the event of a virtual-learning days such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The website also provides decomposing skills and number bonds.

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IXL | Build cube trains to add up to 10 - words | Kindergarten math

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Improve your math knowledge with free questions in "Build cube trains to add up to 10 - words" and thousands of other math skills.

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This worksheet is great for students to help them understand the relationship between the number and the abstract number representation while decomposing. The student can pick their own "big" number and then decompose it using smaller numbers. Then, they can show a visual representation by drawing representations of the numbers through objects, tallys, or dots.

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Build Your Own Number Bond | Worksheet | Education.com

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It's time for students to make their own number bonds! In this activity, students will be given number sentences to solve and represent using number bonds.

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This interactive game helps students understand composition and decomposition of numbers. This can be used as an assessment because teachers can receive a report of how well a student did. The data can then be used to determine if the student needs additional remediation.

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Compose and Decompose Numbers Games for Kids Online - SplashLearn

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Interactive compose and decompose numbers games for pre-kindergarten to grade 5 kids online aligned with Common Core Standards. SplashLearn is an award-winning learning program used by more than 40 million children.

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This resource can be assigned to them or it can be played with the class as a whole. Students will need to sign on using their Google account if assigned individually or the teacher can sign-on and play the game and song to the class as a whole. It shows the relationship of composing number by demonstrating the objects in colored pairs.

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There's never just one way to make a number-you can build each out in so many ways! Learn all about how to making numbers with the buttons on Grandma's sweater in this funky composing and decomposing numbers song. Get down with Grandma as your child learns all about building numbers in different ways.

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Composing and Decomposing Numbers Song | Song | Education.com

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There's never just one way to make a number-you can build each out in so many ways! Learn all about how to making numbers with the buttons on Grandma's sweater in this funky composing and decomposing numbers song. Get down with Grandma as your child learns all about building numbers in different ways.

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Students can add 10 beads, or whatever number they are learning to compose/decompose and they can make pairs of different combinations that add up to the whole number.

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Students will need a die. Students can roll the die and decompose the number into smaller subgroups. This would be a great activity for small groups and individual practice.

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Students are able to see video lessons on how to decompose and compose unto the number 10. Then, they have the opportunity to work on achieving mastery by working through problems. They receive feedback as they progress through the module.

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Addition and subtraction | Kindergarten | Math | Khan Academy

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