10 More, 10 Less & Number Patterns | 1st Grade Math

Grade 1 Math  ›  Numbers & Place Value  ›  Lesson 5

Grade 1 Math - Numbers and Place Value

10 More, 10 Less and Number Patterns

Learn how to find 10 more and 10 less using place value, recognize number patterns, and understand how changing the tens digit changes a number while the ones digit stays the same.

This first grade math lesson uses place value models, number patterns, and number-chart reasoning to help students find 10 more or 10 less without counting one by one.

10 more 10 less Number patterns Place value Grade 1 math practice

🎯 What You Will Learn

Find 10 more
Add one group of ten without counting forward by ones.

Find 10 less
Remove one group of ten without counting backward by ones.

Use place value
Understand why the ones stay the same while the number of tens changes.

See number patterns
Recognize vertical patterns on a number chart and sequences that change by 10.

For parents & teachers — standards alignment: CCSS 1.NBT.C.5 asks students, given a two-digit number, to mentally find 10 more or 10 less without counting and to explain the reasoning used. The core of this lesson focuses on that two-digit-number expectation.

🧠 Key Vocabulary

10 more — one additional group of ten.

10 less — one fewer group of ten.

pattern — a relationship that repeats in a predictable way.

mentally — using number relationships and reasoning without counting one by one.

tens — groups of 10 ones.

ones — single units that stay unchanged when exactly one ten is added or removed.

🔟 Add or Remove One Ten

Finding 10 more does not mean counting ten separate steps. Think in place-value units: add one ten. Finding 10 less means remove one ten.

10 more Add 1 ten.

10 less Remove 1 ten.

36 → +10 → 46

Place-value idea: 36 has 3 tens and 6 ones. Ten more has one additional ten: 4 tens and the same 6 ones, which is 46.

🔄 What Stays the Same?

When we find 10 more or 10 less than a two-digit number, the ones stay the same. We are changing the number of tens, not adding or removing individual ones.

10 less37

↕

start47

↕

10 more57

Common mistake: 10 more than 47 is not 48. That is only 1 more. Ten more than 47 is 57.

Special transitions: Sometimes the written number changes length, as in 90 → 100, or becomes one digit, as in 15 → 5. The place-value idea is still the same: add or remove exactly one group of ten.

🧩 See the Pattern on a Number Chart

On a standard number chart with 10 numbers in each row, the number directly below is 10 more and the number directly above is 10 less.

343536 444546 545556

Look closely: 34, 44, and 54 are in the same column. They all have 4 ones, and each step down adds one ten.

🌟 25 Worked Examples

✏️ Try each problem yourself first. Then tap “Show solution” to check your reasoning.

1Find 10 more

What is 10 more than 34?

34 → +10 → 44

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Adding 10 adds one more ten. 34 has 3 tens and 4 ones; 44 has 4 tens and 4 ones. Answer: 44.

2Find 10 less

What is 10 less than 58?

58 → −10 → 48

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Taking away 10 removes one ten. 58 has 5 tens and 8 ones; 48 has 4 tens and 8 ones. Answer: 48.

3Add one ten

What is 10 more than 21?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

21 is 2 tens and 1 one. Add one more ten: 3 tens and 1 one make 31. Answer: 31.

4Remove one ten

What is 10 less than 76?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

76 is 7 tens and 6 ones. Remove one ten: 6 tens and 6 ones make 66. Answer: 66.

5A whole-ten number

What is 10 more than 40?

40 → +10 → 50

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

40 is 4 tens. One more ten makes 5 tens. Answer: 50.

6Ten less from a whole ten

What is 10 less than 90?

90 → −10 → 80

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

90 is 9 tens. Remove one ten and 8 tens remain. Answer: 80.

7Keep the ones the same

What is 10 more than 19?

19 → +10 → 29

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

19 has 1 ten and 9 ones. Add one ten; the 9 ones stay the same. Answer: 29.

8A one-digit result

What is 10 less than 15?

15 → −10 → 5

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

15 is 1 ten and 5 ones. Remove the one ten and 5 ones remain. Answer: 5.

9Watch the pattern

Complete: 27, 37, 47, □.

273747□

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Each number is 10 more than the one before it. 47 + 10 = 57. Answer: 57.

10Count backward by tens

Complete: 83, 73, 63, □.

837363□

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Each number is 10 less than the one before it. 63 − 10 = 53. Answer: 53.

11Find both neighbors

Find 10 less and 10 more than 82.

10 less72

↕

start82

↕

10 more92

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

One ten less than 82 is 72. One ten more than 82 is 92. Answer: 72 and 92.

12Another pair of neighbors

Find 10 less and 10 more than 46.

10 less36

↕

start46

↕

10 more56

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

46 has 4 tens and 6 ones. One fewer ten gives 36; one more ten gives 56. Answer: 36 and 56.

13Whole tens on both sides

Find 10 less and 10 more than 70.

10 less60

↕

start70

↕

10 more80

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Ten less than 70 is 60, and ten more than 70 is 80. Answer: 60 and 80.

14Near 100

What is 10 less than 99?

99 → −10 → 89

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

99 has 9 tens and 9 ones. Remove one ten; the 9 ones stay. Answer: 89.

15Reach 100

What is 10 more than 90?

90 → +10 → 100

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

90 is 9 tens. Adding one more ten makes 10 tens, which is 100. Answer: 100.

16Move down a number chart

On a number chart, moving down one row adds 10. What number is directly below 52?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Add 10 to 52: 52 + 10 = 62. Answer: 62.

17Move up a number chart

On a number chart, moving up one row gives 10 less. What number is directly above 74?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Ten less than 74 is 64. Answer: 64.

18Extend a tens pattern

Complete: 13, 23, 33, 43, □.

13233343□

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

The pattern adds 10 each time, so 43 + 10 = 53. Answer: 53.

19Work backward from 10 more

A number becomes 67 when 10 is added. What was the number?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

If adding 10 gives 67, go back one ten: 67 − 10 = 57. Answer: 57.

20Work backward from 10 less

A number becomes 42 when 10 is taken away. What was the number?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

If taking away 10 gives 42, add the ten back: 42 + 10 = 52. Answer: 52.

21A short story

A box has 36 counters. Another group of 10 counters is added. How many counters are there now?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Adding one group of ten means finding 10 more. 36 + 10 = 46. Answer: 46 counters.

22Explain what stays the same

When 10 is added to 24, which part stays the same: the tens or the ones?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

24 becomes 34. The tens change from 2 tens to 3 tens, while the 4 ones stay the same. Answer: the ones stay the same.

23Spot the mistake

Liam says 10 more than 68 is 69. Is he correct?

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

No. 69 is only 1 more than 68. Ten more means adding one whole ten: 68 + 10 = 78. Answer: 78.

24State extension to 120

Texas extension: What is 10 more than 104?

104 → +10 → 114

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

Add one group of ten to 104. 104 + 10 = 114. Answer: 114.

25State extension at the top

Texas extension: What is 10 more than 110?

110 → +10 → 120

✨ Show solution 🙈 Hide solution

110 plus one more ten is 120. Answer: 120.

🎮 Independent Practice — 30 Problems

1. What is 10 more than 23?
2. What is 10 more than 41?
3. What is 10 more than 58?
4. What is 10 more than 70?
5. What is 10 more than 89?
6. What is 10 more than 90?
7. What is 10 less than 36?
8. What is 10 less than 52?
9. What is 10 less than 67?
10. What is 10 less than 80?
11. What is 10 less than 99?
12. What is 10 less than 14?
13. Find 10 less and 10 more than 45.
14. Find 10 less and 10 more than 72.
15. Find 10 less and 10 more than 30.
16. Find 10 less and 10 more than 86.
17. Complete: 12, 22, 32, □, 52.
18. Complete: 47, 57, □, 77.
19. Complete: 95, 85, 75, □.
20. Complete: 61, 51, □, 31.
21. A number becomes 64 when 10 is added. What was the number?
22. A number becomes 73 when 10 is taken away. What was the number?
23. True or false: 10 more than 56 is 66.
24. True or false: 10 less than 84 is 83.
25. Fix the mistake: “10 more than 32 is 33.”
26. Which is 10 more than 48: 49, 58, or 68?
27. Which is 10 less than 71: 61, 70, or 81?
28. On a number chart, what number is directly below 39 if moving down adds 10?
29. On a number chart, what number is directly above 65 if moving up gives 10 less?
30. Challenge: Start at 26 and add 10 three times. Write all three new numbers.

🏆 Lesson Test — 15 Questions

1. What is 10 more than 25?
2. What is 10 less than 63?
3. What is 10 more than 80?
4. What is 10 less than 17?
5. Find 10 less and 10 more than 54.
6. Complete: 16, 26, 36, □, 56.
7. Complete: 92, 82, □, 62.
8. A number becomes 71 when 10 is added. What was the number?
9. A number becomes 38 when 10 is taken away. What was the number?
10. True or false: 10 more than 47 is 57.
11. Fix the mistake: “10 less than 69 is 68.”
12. Which is 10 more than 73: 63, 74, or 83?
13. On a number chart, moving down one row adds 10. What number is directly below 44?
14. When 10 is added to 32, which digit stays the same?
15. Challenge: Start at 18 and add 10 four times. Write the four new numbers.

🔐 Complete Answer Key

🔑 Show practice answer key 🙈 Hide practice answer key

Practice Answers

1. 33

2. 51

3. 68

4. 80

5. 99

6. 100

7. 26

8. 42

9. 57

10. 70

11. 89

12. 4

13. 35 and 55

14. 62 and 82

15. 20 and 40

16. 76 and 96

17. 42

18. 67

19. 65

20. 41

21. 54

22. 83

23. True

24. False — 10 less than 84 is 74.

25. 10 more than 32 is 42.

26. 58

27. 61

28. 49

29. 55

30. 36, 46, 56

🏅 Show test answer key 🙈 Hide test answer key

Test Answers

1. 35

2. 53

3. 90

4. 7

5. 44 and 64

6. 46

7. 72

8. 61

9. 48

10. True

11. 10 less than 69 is 59.

12. 83

13. 54

14. The ones digit, 2.

15. 28, 38, 48, 58

💡 Common Mistakes to Watch For

Finding 1 more instead of 10 more
Ten more changes the number by a whole group of ten.

Changing the ones
When exactly 10 is added or removed, the ones stay the same.

Counting one by one
Use the tens-and-ones structure instead of taking ten single counting steps.

Moving the wrong way on a chart
Down one row is 10 more; up one row is 10 less.

For parents & teachers — Texas extension: TEKS 1.5(C) asks students to use relationships to determine the number that is 10 more and 10 less than a given number up to 120. For that reason, Worked Examples 24–25 briefly extend the core idea above 100.

🖨️ Printable Companion

A free 10 More, 10 Less & Number Patterns Practice Pack will be connected here as the MathLattice printable library grows. It will include place-value models, number-chart patterns, missing-number sequences, mental-math practice, and an answer key.

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