Beginning-of-Year Math Intervention Assessments: What I Look For & Why It Matters

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The beginning of the school year can be busy.  There are schedules to create, students to get to know, materials to organize, and intervention groups to plan. When students need math intervention, it can be tempting to jump right into instruction as quickly as possible. However, I have found that spending just  15–20 minutes learning how a student thinks about mathematics  can save countless hours of ineffective instruction later. Before I begin intervention lessons, I want to understand what students already know, what strategies they are using, and where their mathematical understanding begins to break down. As a math intervention teacher, I assess my Tier 2 and Tier 3 students in grades K–4 individually. Depending on the student, I may complete the assessment in one sitting or split it into two shorter sessions.  The goal is not to overwhelm students with a long assessment.  The goal is to gather enough information to determine the best place to begin instruc...
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Building Number Sense with Double Ten Frame Cards

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If you're working with students who are still developing strong number sense, especially with numbers 0 through 20, double ten frame cards are an essential tool to add to your math instruction toolkit. Whether you teach kindergarten or early elementary students, these cards can help children make sense of quantities, subitize, and build a firm foundation in math fluency.

This set of Double Ten Frame Cards to help students visualize numbers in different ways and increase their flexibility with composing and decomposing numbers. There are a total of 168 cards included in this resource with 8 cards of each number.  These cards are easy to prep, simple to use, and incredibly versatile!

Why Use Double Ten Frames?

Double ten frames help students:

  • Understand numbers beyond 10 in a visual format
  • See how numbers are composed (5 + 7 = 12) and decomposed (12 = 10 + 2)
  • Develop fluency with addition and subtraction facts
  • Build confidence in working with teen numbers


Classroom & At-Home Ideas

Here are some simple ways you can use these double ten frame cards in your classroom or at home:

1. Independent Math Centers
Set up a matching game where students match numeral cards with double ten frame representations. This can be self-checking or used with a partner.

2. Small Group Intervention
Use the cards in a guided group to model combinations of 10 and 20. This is especially helpful for students who need visual reinforcement.

3. Exit Tickets or Quick Checks
Display a double ten frame card and ask students to write the corresponding number and a number sentence.

4. Take-Home Practice
Send a set of cards home with simple instructions for parents. This is an easy way to encourage extra practice in a familiar format.

Printed and laminated double ten frame cards laid out on a desk.

Where to Find the Cards

You can find the full set of Double Ten Frame Cards (168 cards total) in my TeachersPayTeachers store.

These are perfect for guided math, RTI groups, early finishers, and center rotations. I hope you and your students find them as helpful as I have!

I’d love to hear how you use ten frames in your classroom! Leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @mrleeslearners.

Location: Hawley, MN 56549, USA

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