NCERT Class 1 Maths (Joyful Mathematics) · Chapter 4

Making 10

Seeing dot patterns quickly, the number zero, pairs that make 5 and 10, ten frames, and numbers from 11 to 20.

📌 What you’ll learn in this chapter
  • Recognising dot patterns without counting
  • Zero (0) means nothing at all
  • Number pairs that make 5 and 10
  • Ten frames and strings of 10 beads
  • Counting, comparing, and ordering numbers up to 20

🍪 Let’s Begin: The Biscuit Jar

Dadi’s jar has 3 biscuits. Chintu eats one, then 2 are left. He eats another, then 1 is left. He eats the last one… then 0! The jar is empty. 😋

Zero is a number too. It means none.

✋ Part 1: Pairs That Make 5 and 10

Make 5Make 10
0 and 51 and 9 · 9 and 1
1 and 42 and 8 · 8 and 2
2 and 33 and 7 · 7 and 3
3 and 24 and 6 · 6 and 4
4 and 15 and 5
💡 Use your hands You have 10 fingers. Fold some down, and the fingers still up plus the folded fingers always make 10!

🔟 Part 2: Numbers 11 to 20

10 and 1 is 11 · 10 and 2 is 12 · … · 10 and 9 is 19 · 10 and 10 is 20

To count big groups, first make a group of 10, then count the extra ones. 10 and 6 more = 16.

⚠️ Common mistake Writing 12 as “21”. ❌ For twelve, the 1 (one ten) comes first, then the 2: 12.

✏️ Practice Time

Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.

Q1. 7 and ___ make 10.
✅ Answer3
Q2. How many moons are in your classroom?
✅ Answer0 (zero)
Q3. 10 and 4 is ___.
✅ Answer14
Q4. Which is bigger: 18 or 13?
✅ Answer18

📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help

Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!

Pages 33–34 · Dotty bug

Dots and bindis

✅ AnswerA. Count the dots on each ladybug and write the number. Try to “see” small numbers (like 3 or 5) without counting one by one. C. Count the red bindis in each arrangement and write the number. D. Dice game: colour a box with the same dot pattern as your roll.
Pages 35–36 · Vanishing buttons and zero

Zero

✅ AnswerGola’s buttons: 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. At the end he has 0 buttons.
Birds on the branch: count each picture and write 0 where the branch is empty.
A. We see 0 suns at night · B. We usually see 0 moons at noon
Pages 37–38 · Tenth birthday

Count and make 10

✅ Answer9 and 1 more makes 10. Count the beads, laddoos, crayons, bananas, and leaves in each box and write the number.
A and B: count how many beads or buttons are already there, then draw more until there are 10. If there are 6, draw 4. If there are 7, draw 3, and so on.
Pages 39–40 · Handy five and ten

Number pairs

✅ AnswerPairs of 5: 1 and 4, 2 and 3, 3 and 2, 4 and 1 (and 0 and 5, 5 and 0). If you show 3 fingers, your friend shows 2.
Pairs of 10: 1 + 9, 2 + 8, 3 + 7, 4 + 6, 5 + 5, 6 + 4, 7 + 3, 8 + 2, 9 + 1 (and 10 + 0) all = 10.
Pages 41–43 · Counting up to 20

Write 11 to 20

✅ Answer11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Match the jumbled numbers to the same numbers on the first row.
Pages 44–45 · Count, colour, and towers

Tens frames and groups of ten

✅ AnswerB. 14 = 1 full ten frame + 4 · 19 = 1 full + 9 · 16 = 1 full + 6
C. In order: 1, 2, 3 … 20, filling the missing numbers in the snake.
D. Circle 10 things in each picture, then count the extra ones: 10 + 7 = 17, 10 + 6 = 16, 10 + 10 = 20, 10 + 0 = 10. Match each picture to its number.
E. The tallest tower uses the most blocks. Count the blocks in each tower to answer ii and iii.
Pages 46–47 · Biggest and smallest

Compare and order

✅ AnswerA. Smallest: i. 6 · ii. 11 · B. Biggest: i. 19 · ii. 17
C. Hidden under the paw: write the number that comes just before or after its neighbours (for example, 14, 15, 16, 17 · 11, 12, 13 · 15, 16, 17).
D. Biggest to smallest: 20, 16, 13, 11, 9, 3
F. Join 1 to 20 in order to see the picture appear, then say if it is an animal or a bird.

👨‍👩‍👧 Tips for Parents

  • Use an egg tray or ice tray as a ten frame with buttons.
  • Play “Make 10”: you say 3, and your child says 7.
  • Count 20 seeds by making a group of 10 first.
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