Counting Squares Worksheets

Before a child can add, subtract, or understand place value, they need to see a number as a real amount. These Counting Squares Worksheets help Kindergarten students do exactly that with a ten-frame, the simple two-row grid of ten squares that teachers use every day to build number sense. A ten-frame shows at a glance how close a number is to five and how close it is to ten, so a child who fills one in is learning far more than a counting word. They are seeing how numbers are built.

This kindergarten ten frame worksheet is ready to print and use with no preparation. In Part A, the student reads a number from one to ten and fills in that many squares, working across the top row first and then the bottom row, just like a real ten-frame. In Part B the skill turns around: the squares are already filled in, and the student counts them and writes the number in the box. Doing both in one sitting moves a child from reciting numbers to understanding quantity. Use it for morning work, a math center with counters beside it, homework, or a quick check before a unit assessment. A complete answer key is included on the second page so checking takes a moment.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 6 read-and-fill ten-frames plus 4 count-and-write ten-frames covering the numbers 1 through 10

There are three reasons this resource helps children learn to count. First, every number from one to ten appears exactly once, so no number is skipped and the order cannot be guessed. Second, filling a ten-frame in the same order every time teaches a child to see five as a full row and ten as a full frame, which is the start of counting on and making ten. Third, the Counting Squares Worksheets ask the student to both build a number and read a number, and that two-way practice is what makes counting stick.

Teachers and parents can take this skill well beyond the page. Draw a ten-frame on paper and let the child fill it with buttons, beans, or small toys. Hold up a ten-frame for just a second and ask how many squares were filled. Roll a die and fill that many squares, then ask how many more make ten. Use an egg carton cut to ten cups as a ten-frame the child can hold. Count stairs, spoons, or socks together, and let the child show the same number on a ten-frame.

Related Resources

• Counting Blocks 1-9 Worksheets
• Toy Counting 6-10 Worksheet
• Count and Write 0-20 Activity
• Count to 10 Micro Lesson