Counting by 10s Challenge Worksheet for Grade 1

This counting by 10s challenge worksheet for Grade 1 moves beyond filling a familiar row. Children continue sequences, count a specified number of further terms, find missing numbers, and distinguish the number of terms from the number of jumps. The one-page PDF includes answers up to 260, making it extension practice for learners already comfortable with tens beyond 100.

What the worksheet contains

• Five sequences with three given numbers and four blanks each.
• Four instructions to count a specified number of further terms from a starting value.
• Five questions asking what comes next.
• A Super Challenge with an after-number clue, two missing values, and a question about counting from 50 to 150.

The goal is to keep adding ten from different starting points and explain how many steps or numbers a question requires. Read the directions aloud when reading difficulty would otherwise get in the way of the math.

Count five more numbers, not five more ones

For “Start at 20. Count 5 more numbers,” say 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. There are five ten-jumps, and the count ends at 70. The starting 20 is not one of the five additional numbers.

Space note: Section 2 provides only one small box per instruction, although it asks children to count several numbers. Let the child say or write the full sequence on scrap paper, then record the ending number in the box. Explain this convention before they begin.

Numbers and jumps are different

The final question asks, “Start at 50 and count by 10 to 150. How many numbers?” Counting both endpoints gives 11 numbers: 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. There are only 10 jumps between them.

Because learners may interpret the starting point differently, make clear that this question counts 50 as the first number. If a child answers 10, ask whether they counted jumps or numbers before marking it wrong. A drawn path with dots for numbers and arcs for jumps makes the distinction visible.

Check readiness before using the challenge

Ask the learner to continue a short sequence across 100 and explain why each new number is ten larger. Then ask them to start at a different multiple of ten. If they can only recite from 10, offer more supported practice before assigning all the larger rows here. The Grade 1 label does not mean every child needs to complete every extension immediately.

Read one direction together and have the child explain it in their own words. They should be able to distinguish “five more numbers” from “five more.” In this worksheet the former asks for five additional terms in a tens sequence. Checking that language first makes the challenge about mathematical reasoning rather than guessing what the instruction means.

Try a smaller example of numbers versus jumps

On scrap paper, write 20, 30, 40, and 50 as four points. Touch each point and count four numbers. Next, draw an arc between each neighboring pair: there are three arcs. The starting point is a number, but reaching it did not require a jump from the previous point on this drawing.

Once that difference is visible, return to the longer 50-to-150 question. Ask the learner to choose what to count before beginning: labeled points for numbers or arcs for jumps. This optional demonstration makes the distinction manageable without giving them a rule to memorize without understanding.

Check an endpoint in the opposite direction

For a further-terms task, a useful check is to reverse the same number of jumps. If five forward ten-jumps from 20 finish at 70, five backward ten-jumps should return to 20. Say 60, 50, 40, 30, 20 while tracking the five jumps. This is a checking strategy, not an extra printed section of the PDF.

If the child reaches a different starting value, revisit the sequence together. They may have included the starting number among the additional terms, missed a term, or made a larger jump. Keep a finger or counter for each completed jump so they can focus on the number values without losing their place.

When reviewing the finished work, ask for one explanation from the ordinary sequences and one from the Super Challenge. A learner who gets an endpoint right but cannot explain the route may still benefit from a visible path. Praise a clear correction or a sensible checking method rather than speed. The most useful outcome is understanding why an answer fits the instruction.

Answers for adults

No separate answer-key PDF is supplied. Use this guide alongside the worksheet:

• Section 1, missing entries: a. 40, 50, 60, 70; b. 70, 80, 90, 100; c. 100, 110, 120, 130; d. 130, 140, 150, 160; e. 160, 170, 180, 190.
• Section 2, further terms: a. 30, 40, 50, 60, 70; b. 80, 90, 100, 110; c. 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180; d. 190, 200, 210. Ending numbers: 70, 110, 180, 210.
• Section 3: 80, 120, 160, 200, 260.
• Super Challenge: a. 250; b. 190 and 210; c. 11 numbers when 50 and 150 are both included.

Support and next steps

Use tens bundles or a number line extending to 260 for the larger questions. A chart ending at 100 or 200 cannot show every answer. Model the step from 190 to 200 if needed, then ask the learner to explain the next jump independently.

For a review across several formats, try counting by 10s mixed practice. For a smaller range, return to basic practice. Choose support based on the child’s explanation, not how quickly the page is finished.