Number Bonds
Practise number bonds — find the missing number that completes the sum.
Educational Guide & Practice Tips
A guide for parents, teachers, and tutors to support students.
Understanding the Concept
Number bonds are pairs of numbers that add up to a given target number (usually 10, 20, or 100). For example, the bonds to 10 include 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, etc. They represent the foundational relationships between numbers.
Why Practise This Topic?
Knowing number bonds by heart is critical for mental arithmetic. When a child instantly knows that 8 and 2 make 10, they can compute larger sums (like 38 + 2 or 80 + 20) much faster and with greater confidence.
Practical Tips for Parents & Teachers
- Use ten-frames or double-sided counters to visualize number pairs.
- Play games like 'Maths Tennis' where you say a number and the child calls back its bond partner.
- Progress to bonds of 20 and 100 once bonds of 10 are fully mastered.