The Hundred Chart: math lesson tips from the Parent Powerline

The Hundred Chart: math lesson tips from the Parent Powerline
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 by Becky Cerling Powers

The Hundred Chart is a simple tool that parents can use to help their children learn math. There are more ways to use it than there are numbers on the chart.

The diagram shows what a Hundred Chart looks like. You can copy this diagram onto a blank document in your computer or make your own larger-size 100 Chart on poster board to hang up in the kitchen or wherever your children do their home work. You may want many letter-stationery-sized copies for different math activities. The diagram is repeated at the end of this article to make it easier to copy it into your computer.

Here are a few ways to use your chart:

Beginning Math

After children can accurately count concrete objects like blocks and stones, use the chart to count, first to 10, then 20, and eventually to 100.

Use it to help children recognize numbers. Which is 5? Which is 55?

Make an extra large size copy on cardstock, cut apart the number sections, and ask your child to make a train on the floor, arranging the numbers in correct order. Start with the numbers 1 to 10, then try 1 to 20. Work up eventually to 100, encouraging your child to wind his number line around furniture or down hallways to make it fit. (You can do the same activity by making numbers by hand on index cards.)

Show your child how to sort these number cards by ones, 20’s, etc. This is an activity all by itself. It also can be used to help children make the number train to 100 without becoming overwhelmed. If they sort the cards, it’s easier to make the train.

What is one more than 7? What is 5 plus 2 more? Count forward to work out simple addition problems on the chart. (You can also do this and many other Hundred Chart activities on a home made number line.)

What is one less than 8? What is 5 minus 3? Count backward to work out simple subtraction problems.

Take turns with your children doing problems. Give them the easy ones they are ready for, like 3 plus 4. Let them give you hard problems, if they want, like 59 plus 6. Show them how you figure out the hard problems.

Advanced math

Use white out to make three or four number squares blank in each row. Make copies of the chart with blanks and tell your children to fill in the blanks.

Use the chart to count by 10’s, then by 5’s, then by 2’s.

Tell your child to count and color the chart by 3’s. Then post the chart where children can see it from the dining table, and tell everyone to count by 3’s in unison before they can start eating. Do 3’s one week, 4’s the next week, and so on. Counting number groups helps children learn their multiplication tables.

Count by 10’s, but start on the 4 or the 7. Try starting on other numbers.

Count by any size number you can. Start with any number you want.

Count backwards from 100 by 10’s. Count backwards by 5’s or 2’s.

Add 8 to 5. Add 8 to 15, then to 25, then to 35. This makes a bridge from one row of 10 to another. Try other bridging addition problems.

9 is an interesting number to add because its position is one less than 10. Add 9 to different numbers and try to figure out a rule for adding 9. Then do the same things with 11.

Subtract 5 from 62, then from 52, 42, 32, 22, and 12. Try other subtraction problems with bridging.

Use the hundred chart to figure out hard problems. Use it to figure out homework problems, too.

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