What opportunity do the teacher's questions provide the students during the ten frames activity?

The opportunity presented by the teacher's questions during the ten frames activity allows students to compose a number in different ways. Ten frames are visual tools that help students understand number relationships and the concept of part-whole thinking. When students are encouraged to answer questions about how to represent a number using the ten frames, they can explore various combinations of numbers that add up to the same total.

For instance, if the focus number is five, students might show this by using one full row (five in one frame) or by splitting it into different parts, like three in one frame and two in another. This not only reinforces their understanding of numbers and their compositions but also lays the groundwork for addition and subtraction concepts, encouraging flexible thinking about number relationships.

This exploration fosters mathematical reasoning and promotes discussions about numbers, which can help clarify their understanding and build a strong foundation for future math concepts.