How to Use Fact Family Houses to Teach Your Child First-Grade Math

Knowing the Tens Facts

Begin by having your child list out the Tens Facts. You and your child can figure out the combination of numbers that add up to 10.

Starting with1, ask your child what they need to add to make 10.

Be sure to list the inverse facts as well—for example:

1 + 9 = 10

and

9 + 1 = 10

Draw a Fact Family House

You can also draw a fact family house orprint oneout. All your house needs to have is a roof with three windows and a body with four bay windows.

Write two blank addition problems (____ + ____ = _____) and two blank subtraction problems (____ - ____ = _____) in the bay windows.

Move in the Fact Family

In the attic windows of your fact family house, ask your child to write the three numbers that make up the family's members. Put the largest number in the top window.

If you begin your Tens Facts with1 + 9, the numbers in the windows will be10,9,and1.

From there, have your child complete the two addition problems using the list they created. Once they've figured those out, the subtraction problems should be easy.

Meet the Fact Family Neighbors

Once you've mastered the fact family home, it's time to move on to creating a neighborhood. To start, simply draw or print four more houses. If you want to make the activity more of a craft, you can print the houses on heavy paper.

Next, have your child fill in the rest of the Tens Facts (one in each house) to create the entire neighborhood.

Build a Fact Family Neighborhood

Once your neighborhood is finished, have your child decorate the homes. Leave some extra paper at the bottom of the house so your child can cut them out. You can even fold the extra tab under to make the houses stand up.

Building fact family neighborhoods are great way tomake first grade math concepts easy and funfor your kids to learn.