L18 – WWW – Composition of 9 & 10

Working Without Worksheets – Reception Maths: Composition of 9 and 10 Help your Reception pupils consolidate their number knowledge with this Working Without Worksheets lesson on the composition of 9 and 10. Using ten frames and dot plates, children explore all the different ways these larger numbers can be partitioned into smaller parts. The lesson begins with a starter activity: Show a ten frame with 9 or 10 counters arranged in different ways. Ask: “How many can you see? How can you see it?” Encourage children to notice and describe the different compositions, e.g. 5 and 4 make 9 or 7 and 3 make 10. In the main input, the teacher models using dot plates: Display dot plates with arrangements from 0–9. Ask: “Can you find 2 plates that have 9 spots altogether?” Show an example: “If you have 5 spots, how many more make 9?” Confirm that 4 more complete the total. Continue until all possible pairs for 9 are found. Repeat the same process with pairs that make 10, reinforcing that numbers can be split in many different ways but still combine to the same whole. For the independent activity, children practise creating number bonds with their own dot plates: First, find all the possible pairs of dot plates that make 9. Then, add in a 10 plate and find all the pairs that make 10. Encourage children to explain using stem sentences such as: “___ and ___ make 9” or “___ and ___ make 10.” The plenary brings children back together to share the different combinations they found, reinforcing the idea that numbers can be composed in multiple ways but always give the same whole. What’s Included in the Pack? ✔ Full teacher planning with objectives, vocabulary, and plenary ideas ✔ Starter: explore 9 and 10 on a ten frame in different arrangements ✔ Teacher modelling: find pairs of dot plates that make 9 or 10 ✔ Vocabulary focus: bond, part, whole, total, makes, equal ✔ Independent activity: hands-on work with dot plates to explore compositions of 9 and 10 ✔ Stem sentences: “___