Mental Maths

Looking for a fun way to teach mental maths and number facts to 10? Rainbow Facts are a colourful, visual, and engaging strategy for helping young learners quickly recall addition and subtraction facts that make 10.

In this post, we’ll explain what Rainbow Facts are, why they’re important, and how to teach them effectively in your classroom.

What are Rainbow Facts?

Rainbow Facts are number pairs that add up to 10. They get their name from the way they can be visually arranged as a rainbow, with matching number pairs arcing across from each other:

Here are some examples of rainbow facts:

• 0 + 10 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 0 = 10
• 1 + 9 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 1 = 9
• 2 + 8 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 2 = 8
• 3 + 7 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 3 = 7
• 4 + 6 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 4 = 6
• 5 + 5 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 5 = 5
• 6 + 4 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 6 = 4
• 7 + 3 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 7 = 3
• 8 + 2 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 8 = 2
• 9 + 1 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 9 = 1
• 10 + 0 = 10 related subtraction fact 10 – 0 = 10

These facts help students quickly build fluency with making 10, a core mental maths skill for early learners.

How to Teach Rainbow Facts

Teaching Rainbow Facts mental maths to kids is a great way to help them improve their basic addition skills. Here are some tips on how to do it:

1. Start with the basics: Before introducing Rainbow Facts, make sure your child is familiar with basic addition facts. This will make it easier for them to understand the concept of Rainbow Facts.
2. Use the Rainbow Facts Poster to show your students how to trace along a colour on the rainbow to find a partner pair.
3. Use visual aids: You can use manipulatives like coloured counters or blocks to help your child visualise the Rainbow Facts. For example, if you are teaching the Rainbow Fact for the number 6 (2 + 4 = 6), you can use two blue counters and four yellow counters to represent the numbers.
4. Practice, practice, practice: Repetition is key when it comes to learning Rainbow Facts. Encourage your child to practice regularly, and make sure they understand the concept before moving on to the next set of facts.
5. Introduce the subtraction facts simultaneously and build a fact family of 4 to show how the same 3 numbers can be used to create 3 more facts.

Teaching Rainbow Facts mental maths to kids is a great way to help them improve their basic addition skills. By starting with the basics, using visual aids, making it fun, practising regularly, and using real-life examples, you can help your child master these colourful and easy-to-remember addition facts until they become automatic.

Try Our Rainbow Facts Resources!

Our downloadable Rainbow Facts activities include:

• Printable posters and number bonds mats
• Clip cards and rainbow matching games
• Worksheets and flashcards
• Fact family house templates

All aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) and ideal for Foundation to Year 2.