Tens and ones in two-digit numbers
In 1st grade, children learn that a two-digit number like 34 means 3 tens and 4 ones, that 14 is a ten and 4 ones, and that 60 is 6 tens and no ones.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 1st grade practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
What number is 3 tens and 4 ones?
- 43
- 34
- 7
Why this matters
Of everything your child learns this year, place value may do the most to make later math make sense. Once your child sees 34 as 3 tens and 4 ones, a problem like 34 + 20 becomes 3 tens plus 2 tens, and later the written methods for adding and subtracting make sense instead of feeling like rules to memorize. In 2nd grade, the same idea grows to hundreds.
Where kids can get stuck
- Reading the 3 in 34 as three ones, so showing 34 with sticks means putting out 3 sticks and 4 sticks.
- Seeing 14 as one number to count up to, rather than as a ten and 4 ones.
- Treating the zero in 60 as nothing, so reading or writing 60 as 6.
How you can help
- Bundle straws, pencils, or craft sticks into groups of ten with rubber bands. Make a number like 27 with 2 bundles and 7 loose ones, then ask your child to make other numbers.
- Count pocket change using only dimes and pennies. Show 4 dimes and 3 pennies and talk about how 4 tens and 3 ones make 43 cents.
- Ask about the digits in numbers you see, such as a house number like 52: "What does the 5 mean here? How many tens is that?"
Want a little more? Watch the kid-friendly video below together, or try Bobby's Math Club for free practice that adapts to your child.
Kid-friendly explanation
Questions parents ask
Why is my child learning place value with bundles and blocks?
Bundling ten objects together lets your child see and touch the idea that 10 ones make 1 ten. This makes it clear why the 3 in 34 is worth thirty. Without this, children often learn rules for adding and subtracting without knowing why they work, which leads to errors with bigger numbers.
What does it mean if my child writes 304 for thirty-four?
Your child is writing what they hear: thirty, then four. It shows they do not yet see that the tens digit already holds the thirty. Building the number with bundles of ten and loose ones, then writing the number of bundles and the number of loose ones, helps them connect the spoken number to its written form.
Why do teen numbers cause so much trouble?
In English, teen numbers are said in an unusual way. We say "fourteen" with the ones part first, but write 14 with the ten first, and "eleven" and "twelve" do not sound like a ten at all. Helping your child see every teen number as 10 and some more, using two egg cartons or ten fingers plus extras, helps it click.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 1st grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Free, unlimited practice for every child in your family
- Questions matched to your child’s level, a few minutes a day
- Hints when they are stuck, and a celebration when it clicks
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 1.NBT.B.2: “Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. Understand the following as special cases: a. 10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones called a "ten." b. The numbers from 11 to 19 are composed of a ten and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones. c. The numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine tens (and 0 ones).” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 1.NBT.2)