Hooray for the Hundreds Chart!!
The hundreds chart consists of a grid of numbers from 1 to 100, with each row containing
a group of 10 numbers. As a result, children using this chart can count across rows by ones,
and down columns by tens.
WHY should we practice the Hundreds Chart?
Using the Hundreds Chart helps to develops number sense.
WHAT is number sense?
The ability to understand numbers and number relationships and to solve mathematical
problems. Researchers have linked good number sense with these skills:
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Mental calculation
Estimation
Place value
Using problem solving skills
Counting skills
WHAT skills can we practice on the Hundreds Chart?
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Counting from 1 – 100
Identifying numbers
Learning odd and even numbers
Skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10s
Addition and “counting on”
Subtraction and “counting back”
Activities and Games to Play with the
Hundreds Chart:
1. practice counting 1 to 100
2. call out a number and have your child cover it with a counter or tile.
3. practice skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10s
4. practice skip counting and use counters to mark places and make a pattern
5. play “I’m Thinking of a Number” - - tell your child you are thinking of a number. Let
them guess a number and you say higher or lower (depending on what the number is) until
they can find the correct number
6. ask your child to find:
A number between two number (“find the number between 18 and 20”)
All the numbers with a 2 in the ones place (what pattern do you notice?)
A number that comes before or after a number (“ find the number that comes
after 65”)
A number – then add or subtract 10 (“Find 54, add 10”) To quickly add ten, go down
one row. To quickly subtract ten, go up one row
7. Hundreds Chart Puzzle: Cut a hundreds chart into puzzle pieces along the lines. Give
the pieces to a child to piece back together.
8. Find the Number Game: To play this 2-person game, you'll need a hundreds chart and
two color counters or squares of paper in two different colors. Child 1 says the name of a
number on the chart. Child 2 finds the number and covers it with his color counter. Then
they switch roles, with child 2 calling a number for child 1 to find. As they go back and
forth, calling and covering numbers, the chart will fill up with two colors of counters. The
goal is to be the first to get three of your colored counters in a row. (Players have no
control over their own numbers, but they can use strategy to try and keep the other
player from getting 3 in a row.)
9. Color It In: Give kids a 100s chart and some crayons. Have kids color in all the even
numbers, or skip count by 5s and circle these numbers in red. Children enjoy seeing the
colored patterns emerge when exploring skip-counting, especially when patterns overlap
(counting by 5s and counting by 10s, for example).
10. Penny Calculations: Show kids how to add and subtract with a penny. Give an addition
problem such as 35+7. Have kids identify the larger number and put their penny on that
number. Then have the child move the penny up as many times as the second number shows.
Practice with problems such as 6+22, and 9+41, to give kids practice identifying the larger
number first, then adding the smaller number. This is an important addition skill. For Penny
Subtraction, start on the larger number and move backwards.
11. Big Addition: The hundreds chart can be used to start kids adding numbers that
would normally be too big for them to handle in normal calculations. Give a problem like
31+25. Have kids put a counter on the first number. When adding a number bigger than 10,
first add tens by moving the counter down that many places. From 31, kids would move
down 2 rows, going from 31, to 41, to 51. Then look at the ones place (5) and move the
counter to the right five times, counting: 52, 53, 54, 55, 56. 31+25=56.
12. Big Subtraction: This is done just like Big Addition, but kids learn to start on the
bigger number, move up by tens, and then move to the left by ones to solve subtraction
problems.
13. Start Anywhere: Practice counting by 10s, but with a twist: start anywhere on the
hundreds chart. Take turns telling each other where to start, and count by 10s to (around)
100. For example: start on 52 and count: 62, 72, 82, 92. When kids are good at this, count
by 2s starting on every number. Or count backwards by 10s, or backwards by 2s!
14. Race to 100: Give kids each a 100s chart and a counter. Take turns rolling 2 dice and
moving your counter along the chart that many times. The first to get to 100 wins. (You
can add a more challenging element to this game by having kids predict where on the chart
they will land after rolling the dice. Example: if a child is on number 10 and rolls a 2 and a
4, can he predict that he will land on 16 before counting this out on the chart? If so, he
can move an extra space.)