tenblocks

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The basic idea of TenBlocks is:

• choose a multiplication problem in the right-hand grid, and then,
• fill in blocks of ten in the left hand grid.

There are two types of blocks you can fill in: 2 times 5, which you do by dragging out a rectangle in the required position with the mouse, and 3 times 3 with an extra 1, which you do by dragging out a 3 times 4 rectangle. To delete a rectangle that you have placed, click on it to select it, and then press delete or backspace, or click on the "Remove Block" button. When you have filled in as many blocks of ten as possible, i.e. there are less than ten squares not filled in, you have finished that problem (as shown by a change of colour), and you can select the next one to do. Keep going until you have done them all.

How to Get the Most out of this Program

TenBlocks can be used and enjoyed by any child that is old enough to use a mouse. However very young children will need the help of a grownup or older child to show them what it is that they have to do, and perhaps give hints on some of the trickier multiplication problems. (You can make suggestions as to how many "fat" and "thin" blocks might be needed for a given problem.) Don't worry too much if they don't understand what multiplication is or how the problems relate to their times tables, just let them enjoy the pleasure of working their way through a series of simple problems and getting them all finished. Children who are old enough to read might like to read the descriptions that change as they fill in the blocks, and if they are curious as to what those descriptions mean, then you can explain it to them.

You can download this software for personal and education use off-line, subject to the conditions in the licence (a copy is included in the software itself). To install the software, see the downloading instructions.