Before I became a Kindergarten teacher, I spent 7 years working as a Certified Instructor in grades K-5. Over those years, one thing really stood out to me - how little understanding many students had of the hundreds chart.
No matter the age I worked with, numerous students struggled with understanding the patterns, skip counting and knowing what numbers came before and after.
I knew that I wanted to really stress the importance of truly comprehending the hundreds charts with my Kindergarten students.
Last year I made a game that really helped my students master the chart - they loved it so much they would beg to play it each day during math!
We all gather in a circle at the rug. At the beginning of the year we begin with just 1-25, which gives everyone one card. Our goal is to build, using a pocket chart, up to 25 as quickly as we can without giving answers away to each other.
The first few times it takes awhile to get this completed! After we have finished, I give them time to turn and talk to their neighbors about what they notice. I never have to tell them about what the colors mean, they are always able to see the patterns on their own.
They have to be aware of both the cards they hold and where they will need to be inserted into the grid. This will allow you to really see who has a firm grasp of their numbers!
My class is already begging for 1-50 and tomorrow it is game on! :)
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