Moving Past 100: Place Value and Number Sense Activities that Work!

When it comes to teaching number sense in the primary classroom, I think we would all agree that success really comes down to ensuring our students get enough meaningful practice. As children begin to move to working with numbers beyond 100, this becomes even more important. But how do we make place value and number sense activities more fun? I've discovered a method that has been transformational in my room and I'm betting it will make a big impact for you too! 

Daily Number Sense Activities are a Game Changer

So what's the secret here? You might be surprised to learn that in my classroom, I found the MOST success with number sense activities when we made them part of our daily routine. Many teachers use morning work with a spiral review and math and literacy concepts, which is wonderful, but I also incorporated daily number sense and place value activities to help my students even more. This magical combo not only made my morning routine more predictable, but it ensured that my kids got daily practice with number sense activities too!

Why did I implement this daily practice you ask? Well, over the years, I simply found that my kids needed daily, hands-on work with place value to fully grasp it. This is definitely true for firsties as they are just getting started with these concepts, but it still rings true for older children who are moving beyond 100! 

The big takeaway here is that if you're struggling to help your students fully understand place value, you're not alone! This is a tricky concept and gets even more abstract when you start working with larger numbers beyond 100. My best advice for you, if you find yourself in this position, is to implement a daily number sense routine that you can use all year long! In my room, it became the ultimate game changer for mastering place value. 

How to Get Started with Daily Number Sense Activities

So where do we even start? Don't worry friend, I'm here to provide answers! I love daily number sense lessons. So much so, that I've written several other blog posts on the topic. If you're a first grade teacher just getting started with numbers 1-120, you'll want to check out this post. It walks you through the exact steps I use from introduction, to hands-on learning, to daily practice. 

But for those of you ready to move into multiple hundreds (hello 2nd graders!) let's dive in here! While this topic feels daunting, I promise it doesn't have to be overly complicated. Once you understand each component of the daily number sense activities, you'll be able to effectively use them out in your room. And trust me, you'll be amazed when you see what this math routine can do for your students! 

Step 1: Cover Essential Vocabulary 

If your students are ready to move beyond 100, this means they have likely been working on place value for a whole year prior. During this time, they should have learned a lot of important vocabulary words, but it's always a good idea to review them! This is our first step when we begin with daily place value activities. 

The vocabulary terms we cover include digits, place value chart, expanded form, standard form, word form, greater than, less than, and equal to. I have a printable vocabulary page that I give each student to review as I make a larger version on an anchor chart for everyone to see. We walk through each term with an example and the students follow along on their paper as we go. 

In my room, I like to bind all of our daily math pages into a book for each student. The book includes a cute cover page, along with the vocabulary page at the front. Before our vocabulary review lesson, I pass out the books and instruct students to flip to this page. Every month they get a new book, and every month we review the vocab. You might find that you don't need to do it every month, but it's never a bad idea to do a quick run-through and help your students really grasp these terms! 

Step 2: Daily Number Sense Activities 

Inside those monthly books I mentioned, the students have a daily number sense practice page. Each month includes 20 practice pages, which is usually the perfect amount for us to work through over the course of a month. The pages vary slightly depending on the numbers we're targeting, but the general idea is that each day has a variety of number sense activities to work on. I love using these daily pages because once students understand the exercises, they can typically complete them all on their own! 

We complete these daily number sense activity pages as part of our morning routine. The students know to get their books out, flip to the page we're working on, and get started when this time comes. During Month 1 of these activities, students are working with numbers up to 250. But don't worry friends, the daily focus numbers are mixed up, so that students don't anticipate the next one, or flip to the last page and figure out the answer. The random order makes it more challenging for my students! 

The activities on these pages include exercises like writing in expanded form, completing equations, writing numbers on a place value chart, working with base ten blocks, and much more! The daily worksheets include visuals to help make this practice easier and more tangible for students. Every page includes an answer key as well for simple and easy grading! 

If you want to give these a try in your room, I've got a freebie just for you! Grab this FREE download to test out my number sense activities in your room. Included, you get 5 practice pages for 2nd grade, plus answer keys so you can test out the daily activities for a whole week! 

Step 3: Place Value Practice Centers

The daily worksheets are just part of the equation, friends! I also make sure to include plenty of hands-on learning centers throughout the month to continue reinforcing these number-sense concepts. Every month features different center activities to help keep things interesting! 

 

These monthly centers are designed to engage students through interactive games and hands-on learning. And the best part for you. . . they are so easy to prep! These place value activities become a consistent part of our math centers.  Each month I simply change out the games and I can be confident that my students are getting that extra practice they need to master this foundational skill.

Simplify Daily Number Sense Activities in Your Room 

Do you love the idea of having some dedicated number sense activities ready to go? Daily practice can make a huge impact on helping your students fully grasp place value, and I can't recommend it enough! 

If you're ready to effortlessly plan your daily number sense activities for a whole year, I've got you covered.

I've bundled all of my 2nd Grade Number Sense Activities in one place. Inside you'll find 9 months of daily practice pages (180 total) and 18 center activities to use throughout the year. Once you establish this routine in your room, you'll be amazed at the incredible progress your students can make with place value! If you're hoping to make teaching number sense run a bit more smoothly in your room this year, I know you and your students will love it!

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