The Hundreds Chart Lesson Ideas

Free 100s Chart Teaching Ideas

Ever wondered about all the math concepts that can be addressed by using a 100 chart?
Let me start with my top 10 lesson ideas for a hundreds chart.


More than and less than: we want our students to be able to quickly know what 1 more, 2 more, 1 less and 2 less than are. Play riddles, "I'm 3 less than 55, I'm 2 more than 18..."

1. Look for the patterns. Cover up all of the odd numbers with counters/coins. What pattern do you see?
2. Patterns: What can you say about the number below any number? (always 10 more)
   What can you say about the number above any number? (always 10 less)
   What can you say about the number beside any given number? (1 less, 1 more)
   What can you say about any number on the diagonal? (downward, the one's place and ten's place increase by one digit, upward the ten's place decreases and one's place increases.
3. Problem solving/Deductive and Inductive Reasoning: Look at image 1.
   For a piece of the 100 chart, a child only needs one number to complete the rest. To solve these types of problems, the child says, I know the number beside/on top or below must be___, therefore, the missing number must be and so on and so forth.
4. Growing and Shrinking Patterns: Identify as many of these types of patterns as you can.
5. Adding and Subtracting: The hundreds chart provides an excellent visual to see subtraction and addition.

There's much, much more that can be done, but for a great start, check out my hundreds chart worksheets and lesson ideas here.

Break a Leg, I'd Give My Right Arm, Big as a Whale...

Figurative Language and Teaching Activities

I love using figures of speech when I'm working with children who have  difficulty 'reading between the lines.' And, in the classroom today, there are many children who are on the spectrum who will benefit from 'reading between the lines' or determining the hidden meaning.

The worksheets here are for just that purpose! Use them on the presentation device you have or simply print out the worksheets for your students and see how they make out determining what the meaning is for each of the figures of speech.

You'll find great activities from illustrating figurative language to matching the term to the definition and inferring meaning from the statement. It's also a great opportunity to have students role play and guess the hidden meaning. You'll find idioms, personification, metaphors and similes all free!

Enjoy the free figures of speech worksheets here.

As always, please share your thoughts, ideas and strategies for everyone to benefit from.