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Do you remember when your kids first started learning to count? At that stage, it was all about saying the numbers in order, “one, two, three…” but they didn't really understand what those numbers meant yet. The same thing can happen later when we start working with bigger numbers. Children might be able to read and write them, but that doesn’t mean they truly understand what each digit represents.  That’s where activities that focus on representing numbers in different ways make all the difference. When children learn to represent a number using standard notation, base ten blocks, expanded notation, and number words, they begin to see how all the pieces fit together. These experiences build a strong foundation for number sense, which carries over into every area of math.  Hands On Place Value PracticeBase ten blocks are one of the best tools for helping children visualize what a number is really made of. When they build 243, they can see that it’s 2 hundreds, 4 tens, and 3 ones. That’s when the concept of place value begins to click. The position of each digit really does matter! You can also give them extra practice at home or in independent centers with my Base Ten Blocks Printable And Portable For Place Value Activities And Games, a printable version that’s perfect when real manipulatives aren’t available.  My Place Value Games and Activities for Representing Numbers in Different Ways includes hands-on tasks that kids can use to build, write, and compare numbers using base ten blocks, expanded notation, and number words. It works beautifully for centers or small group instruction. To learn more about this resource, check out this blog post. It includes a video that explains how to use it.  Representing Numbers Through the SeasonsKeeping math centers fresh is easy when you tie in a seasonal theme. A small visual change can make the same skill feel brand new! In the fall, Place Value Turkeys Task Cards: Working With Expanded Notation help children break numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones while having fun with a Thanksgiving theme. When winter rolls around, try Snowflake Place Value Activities for a cool way to review number forms. Kids love seeing numbers represented in snowflake models as they build, write, and expand them. Then, as the holidays approach, the Holiday Lights Place Value Task Cards bring a little sparkle to your math centers while reinforcing standard and expanded notation.  Connecting Number Words, Symbols, and ModelsReading and writing number words can be tricky for young learners. Matching “thirty-five” to 35, or writing it after building it with base ten blocks, helps them make those important connections between what they see, say, and write. You can mix and match your resources to include number words in small group lessons, task card rotations, or quick warm-ups. The more ways children see numbers represented, the stronger their overall understanding becomes. My Numbers and Number Words 1–100 Holidays and Seasons Bundle provides seasonal activities for every time of year, giving kids repeated exposure to number words and symbols in fun, meaningful ways.  Encouraging Number Sense Every DayDeveloping number sense is a gradual process built through daily exploration and meaningful practice. The more opportunities children have to represent numbers in many ways, using manipulatives, task cards, games, and themed activities, the deeper their understanding grows. When they realize that numbers can be written, built, read, and expanded in many ways, they stop memorizing and start understanding. That’s when the real learning happens.  Here's a list of my resources, all in one place, to support your place value lessons: Place Value Games and Activities for Representing Numbers in Different Ways Place Value Turkeys Task Cards: Working With Expanded Notation Snowflake Place Value Activities Holiday Lights Place Value Task Cards Numbers and Number Words 1–100 Holidays and Seasons Bundle Portable Base Ten Blocks Themed Place Value Practice    Related Posts Every year, on November 11, schools pause for a moment of silence. The bells stop ringing, voices go quiet, and even the youngest students sense that this is a moment to think about something important. In Canada, we have the day off so that families can attend ceremonies at the cenotaph or watch them on television. For primary children, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day can be hard to understand. They might not know what “war” really means or why we wear poppies. That’s why it’s so important to take time to talk about why we remember in ways that make sense to them.  Explaining the Meaning of November 11You don’t need to go into the heavy details of history to help children understand. For young kids, it’s enough to say that many years ago, people worked very hard to keep our countries safe and free. November 11 is a day when we take time to thank those who helped give us freedom and peace during times of conflict. You can compare it to saying thank you to firefighters or doctors, people who help others. Soldiers, nurses, and helpers in war did the same, often far away from home. If your students have family members in the military or who came as refugees, it’s also a time to honor their experiences. Talking about peace, kindness, and freedom can include many different stories.  Helping Children Understand FreedomNow, when I see the news about wars happening in other parts of the world, I think about the children and families living through those experiences. It makes me even more aware of how lucky we are to live in a place where we have the freedom to go to school, play, learn, and speak our minds. And it reminds me why we take time to pause and reflect on November 11: to honor those who have worked to protect that freedom, both long ago and today. Some children may already see pictures or hear discussions about conflicts in other parts of the world. This is a good chance to help them recognize what freedom means and why it’s so important to care for and protect it through kindness and respect for others.  Simple and Respectful Classroom ActivitiesHere are some gentle ways to help your students reflect and show appreciation:
 Reflecting on Peace TodayTalking about wars from long ago also gives an opportunity to discuss peace in our own lives. Some families in your class may have come from places where conflict still exists. Focusing on hope, gratitude, and kindness helps all children feel included and safe. Even young kids can learn that remembrance isn’t just about the past, it’s about making choices today that show respect, care, and peace in everyday life.  More Activities To Extend LearningVideos can be a powerful way to bring these concepts to life for young children. A Pittance of Time by Terry Kelly: This short, memorable song shows children why even a brief moment of silence is meaningful. After watching, ask:
After watching the videos, students can create simple reflections, drawings, short writings, or a “Kindness Pledge” to make the ideas concrete and personal.  This is a writing prompt that I used in my classroom each year to allow students to reflect on what peace meant to them. It is a page from my resource Remembrance Day/Veterans Day Activities.  Resources for Your ClassroomIf you’d like more ready-to-use poems, writing templates, and activities, I’ve shared several resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Check out my Remembrance Day/Veterans Day category.  Related Posts I was watching a young child playing with blocks one day. He was happily counting out loud, “one, two, three…”, as he pointed randomly at the blocks. When I asked how many he had, he proudly answered, “Three!” even though there were closer to ten. It reminded me of how young children learn to sing the alphabet song. They can recite all the letters perfectly, but that doesn’t mean they recognize each one or understand the sounds they make. The same thing happens with numbers. A child might count in sequence beautifully but not yet connect those number words to actual quantities. That’s where number sense comes in, helping children move from saying numbers to truly understanding them. 
Number sense is the foundation of all math learning. It’s not about memorizing counting sequences or math facts; it’s about understanding what numbers represent and how they relate to one another. Children with strong number sense:
For example, they might realize that 8 can be 5 and 3, 4 and 4, or 10 minus 2. They start to see patterns, estimate amounts, and explain their reasoning, skills that will help them when math problems get more complex later on.  Simple Routines That Build Number SenseNumber sense grows best through short, consistent routines that make math part of everyday learning. Here are a few easy ideas to use in your classroom. 1. Number of the Day Choose a number and explore it in as many ways as possible. If today’s number is 7, children can:
2. Counting Collections Give kids small groups of objects, buttons, blocks, or beads, and let them count. Encourage them to group items into fives or tens to make counting easier. This helps them notice patterns and begin to build an understanding of place value.  3. Quick Images (Dot Patterns) Show students a card with dots, a ten frame, or a dice face for just a few seconds, then cover it. Ask, “How many did you see? How did you know?” This develops subitizing, the ability to recognize small quantities instantly, and helps children begin to “see” numbers instead of counting them one by one. Dice are perfect for this. At first, students may count each dot carefully, but soon they start recognizing patterns, like the X shape for five or the two rows of three for six. Recognizing these patterns builds confidence and deepens understanding of number relationships.  4. Making Tens with Dice Once children are comfortable recognizing patterns, you can use dice for a quick “make ten” game. Roll two dice and see if the numbers add up to ten. Over time, they begin to recognize the combinations, like 6 and 4 or 7 and 3, without counting the dots. This simple activity builds fluency with number combinations in a playful way. You can read more about how I’ve used this strategy in my post: Making Tens with Dice and Ten Frames 5. Estimation Jars Fill a jar with small items (buttons, LEGO pieces, erasers) and ask children to guess how many. Once you count together, talk about their strategies: “How did you make your estimate?” or “Was it too high or too low?” Estimation helps children think about quantities flexibly and strengthens their ability to reason with numbers. Using Manipulatives to Make Numbers RealHands-on materials help children make sense of numbers, but they work best when used intentionally. Start with real objects that can be touched and moved, then move to visual models like ten frames or drawings, and finally to symbols like digits and equations. This gradual shift from concrete to abstract helps children understand why numbers work the way they do, not just that they do.  Encouraging Math TalkMath grows through conversation. Whenever possible, give students time to explain their thinking. Ask questions like:
These small conversations help children reason, make connections, and feel confident sharing their ideas, all key parts of developing strong number sense.  Start Small — It All Adds UpBuilding number sense doesn’t require complicated lessons or fancy materials. Start with one short daily routine, a quick image, a counting collection, or a number of the day, and let your students explore. When children begin to see patterns in numbers, understand relationships, and explain their thinking, everything else in math starts to make more sense. By helping them see numbers, on dice, in ten frames, or in everyday objects, you’re giving them a foundation that supports every math skill they’ll learn in the years ahead.  If you’d like more ways to make number sense hands-on and engaging, take a look at my Festive Holiday Number Sense Activities for Place Value and Fact Families or download my Portable Base Ten Blocks, available for free exclusively to newsletter subscribers. Both help children explore numbers visually and meaningfully, and best of all, they make learning math fun!  Related Posts Halloween is an exciting time for kids. They spend lots of time discussing costumes, decorations and even different parties or places they might be going to. It's one of those times when you're best to let this direct your lessons rather than fight it. However, you can still focus on academic goals and activities if you add a Halloween theme to them. Kids will have fun with the activities and not even realize they are learning while they engage in them.  One of the easiest ways to keep things calm and productive during the excitement of Halloween week is to weave the theme into your literacy and math activities. When kids see pumpkins, bats, or spiders on their worksheets or at centers, they’re immediately hooked, and you still get to cover the skills you need to.  Literacy ActivitiesTry some Halloween-themed sentence building or parts of speech activities. My Halloween Parts of Speech Activities: Silly Sentences always get the giggles going as students mix and match words to create spooky or downright silly sentences, and they’re practicing grammar at the same time. You can also do a Spooky Story Starters activity. Give each student a picture prompt (a haunted house, a black cat, a bubbling potion) and ask them to write a short story or descriptive paragraph using vivid adjectives and sensory details. If you’ve been working on descriptive writing, this is a perfect tie-in. Another fun idea is to set up a Halloween vocabulary center. Include themed word cards (witch, cauldron, skeleton, etc.) and challenge students to use the words in sentences, sort them by parts of speech, or create a mini Halloween Dictionary. My Vocabulary Activities and Games for Halloween make this kind of center easy to prep.  Math ActivitiesMath centers are another great place to sneak in some Halloween fun. For example, use pumpkins, ghosts, or candy corn for counting, grouping, or comparing numbers. In Halloween Math Activities, kids can practice number sense, addition, and subtraction while sorting and graphing Halloween objects. You can even do a quick Odd and Even Sort with Halloween pictures. My Fall and Halloween Odd and Even Tallies resource adds a nice visual and recording piece to this skill. If your class likes art-based projects, try Pumpkin Glyphs. These are great for combining math, data collection, and art. Students answer questions about their preferences, then create pumpkins that represent their answers. The finished display becomes a fun way to compare and graph classroom data.  Hands-On ExtrasHere are a few more ways to make Halloween week engaging:
 Halloween week doesn’t have to be wild. It can actually be one of the most engaging times of the year if you harness that excitement in the right way. When kids are busy writing silly Halloween sentences, sorting odd and even pumpkins, or measuring bats and spiders, they’re learning and having fun at the same time.  If you’re looking for ready-to-use activities that fit perfectly with these ideas, I have several more Halloween-themed resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Diamond Mom’s Treasury. Check out my Halloween category to find more. They’re designed to make your planning easier and your students’ learning more engaging, with just the right amount of Halloween fun.  So go ahead — embrace the spooky season in your classroom! With a few themed activities, you’ll keep things light, academic, and filled with laughter (and maybe a few pretend ghosts). Related Posts The fall season in a primary classroom is full of excitement: pumpkins, costumes, and projects everywhere you look! Between the special activities and the changing seasons, it can be hard to find a quiet moment to focus on anything else. Yet right in the middle of all that fun, many teachers are also preparing for student-led conferences. Balancing assessments, report prep, and parent meetings during this busy time can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  If you use some of the activities that you planned for the different special days, it is possible to gather important material to use. You can also use something like My Learning Journal to help kids prepare ahead of time.  In the school where I taught, many times the district would schedule the conferences right around Halloween. Crazy, right? That's what I used to think, but in some ways I can see why they did it. The few days before and after Halloween, the kids are hyped up from the excitement and the sugar, so it's hard to focus on work for a long period of time.  With conferences scheduled throughout the day, the kids only need to be at school for a short amount of time, and they are more likely to focus if their parents are with them. Using the student-led conference format allows the child to direct the time with their parents, and the teacher meeting is only a small amount of time during the conference.  Preparing for these conferences doesn’t have to add extra stress. In fact, with a little planning, they can fit naturally into what you’re already doing in class. The key is to start gathering student work early and let the children practice explaining what they’ve learned. That way, when conference day arrives, they’re ready and excited to share.  I’ll admit, at first, I used to dread having student-led conferences right in the middle of all the fall excitement. But over time, I realized how valuable they were, not just for assessment, but for building confidence. There’s something special about watching a child proudly share their work, explain what they’ve learned, and talk about what they want to get better at next. Parents love hearing their child’s perspective, and the students walk away feeling like real partners in their learning.  Fall conferences don’t have to be stressful. With a little planning and the right tools, like my Student Led Conference Templates And Materials, you can help your students take the lead, stay on track, and make the process enjoyable for everyone. Once everything’s set up, you can relax a little and enjoy the moment watching your students shine as they share their learning journey.  So carry on with your fall celebrations and use them as a springboard for activities to share with parents during the student led conferences. You've got this!  Related Posts Isn’t it crazy how quickly things change as summer ends and fall begins? Just a few weeks ago, I was worrying about watering the garden, and now the sprinklers are packed away and the rain has happily taken over. Our summer garden gave us an incredible harvest of fruits and vegetables, and now comes the season of preserving, storing, and enjoying those blessings into the fall and winter months.  I enjoy this time of year at school because it's full of opportunities to weave in themes of gratitude, kindness, and sharing. In Canada, Thanksgiving comes early in October, making it the perfect springboard for lessons on thankfulness and generosity. From there, November provides us with time to reflect on veterans and the sacrifices they made for freedom, followed by American Thanksgiving later in the month, and then the anticipation of December celebrations.  Shifting My PlanningWhen I first started teaching, I used to plan for each holiday in isolation; one unit for Thanksgiving, another for Remembrance Day, and so on. Over time, though, I realized that looking at the season as a whole helped everything flow together. The holidays each had their special spotlight, but the larger themes of harvest, change, gratitude, remembrance, and kindness tied it all together.  I still remember the first time I tried this approach. Instead of separating my “pumpkin math” from my “gratitude writing,” I blended them into one theme that ran through the month. The kids were more engaged, and I felt less like I was racing from one unit to the next. Looking back, I can see how much more meaningful those activities were for my students.  Activities That Work Well In the FallThis is the time of year when I love to pull in hands-on activities that connect to what’s happening outside the classroom. Here are a few simple, but powerful ways to help kids see the season as something to celebrate and learn from:
 If you want to find some low prep ready made resources, check out the categories in my store. Here are a few that have been favorites for my students: Turkey Glyphs Data Collection And Analysis: Pumpkin Glyphs Themed Place Value Parts of Speech Activities Silly Sentences Holidays And Seasons Bundle Parts of Speech Activities Silly Sentences Holidays And Seasons French Bundle My Fall Gratitude Journal Give Thanks Math And Language Activities Remembrance Day/Veterans Day Activities Remembering What MattersAs much as pumpkins and turkeys add fun, this season always brings me back to the deeper themes of gratitude, kindness, and remembrance. With all the unrest in the world, it’s important to acknowledge that many families are still affected by conflict today. Some students have parents in the military, while others have come from areas of war. Keeping that sensitivity in mind while focusing on gratitude and peace makes these lessons even more meaningful.  This season reminds me to slow down, notice the little things, and encourage students to do the same. And really, that’s what gratitude and kindness are all about.  Related Posts After children have explored themselves, their families, their neighborhoods, and different types of communities, it’s time for the biggest step yet: discovering where they fit into their country and the wider world. This is a wonderful way to wrap up a primary social studies unit because it brings everything together. Kids have learned that they are part of something bigger; now they get to see just how big that “something” is.  Introducing Our CountryA good place to start is with a map of your country. Show children where they live and where their town or city is located. If they’ve already made a map of their community, you can layer this learning:
 Taking It GlobalOnce children understand their country, you can take one more step back to look at the world as a whole. This can feel big and abstract to young learners, so keep it simple and concrete:
 Keeping It Gentle and InclusiveSome children may have left another country recently or have family far away. Others may have experienced conflict or hardship connected to where they’re from. Here are a few ways to keep this unit safe for everyone:
 Using Mapping SkillsThis stage ties perfectly into map-reading skills. Students can locate their country on a world map, trace borders, and begin to see continents and oceans. The Mapping Skills Activities Make Maps Map Reading Using Grids Legends Symbols etc, and Mapping Skills with Grids, Legends, and Symbols resources are excellent for building confidence. They break down map features into clear, kid-friendly steps so children can read and create maps. Once they have practiced making smaller maps, they can look at country and world maps and practice using the skills they have learned to read and create larger maps.  Looking at the country and the world helps children see themselves as part of a global story. They learn that:
 This post wraps up the “Growing Our World” series. By starting with “me,” moving through neighborhoods and communities, exploring different types of communities, and finally reaching out to the world, we’ve given children a strong foundation for understanding their place in the bigger picture. With these steps, social studies becomes more than memorizing facts; it becomes a way for children to see who they are, where they belong, and how they can help make the world a better place.  I hope you have found this series helpful in directing your social studies lessons with young children. Even implementing some of these activities and tips will help kids appreciate the world around them and how their own story connects to others and to the world.  By starting small and building outward, we can give children a sense of belonging and inspire them to see themselves as active, caring members of their communities and the world. Related Posts Now that we have explored family and neighborhood communities, it's time to expand our picture to different kinds of communities and how they change over time. This is where kids begin to notice that not every community looks like theirs, and that’s a good thing! Some communities are small and spread out, while others are big and busy. Exploring these differences helps children appreciate diversity and understand that every kind of community plays an important role.  Introducing Community TypesKids often have a hard time imagining life outside their own experience. Pictures, books, and videos are a great way to help them “see” rural, suburban, and urban life.
Simple class activities can make this hands-on:
Check out this series of booklets about the different types of communities to help kids visualize what they are like. Types Of Communities|Urban Suburban Rural Communities|What Is A Community Bundle  Talking About ChangeCommunities aren’t frozen in time. They grow, shrink, and change. This can be a fascinating topic for children, but it can also bring up personal experiences if families have had to move because of jobs, housing costs, or other challenges. Here are some ways to make this topic gentle and inclusive:
 Mapping Across CommunitiesThis is also a perfect time to strengthen mapping skills by comparing different communities. Children can make a simple map of each type: a farm, a town, a city block, and then look at how they’re similar and different. The Map Skills Activities: Reading Maps, Making Maps, Creating a Community Project resource ties in nicely here, encouraging kids to apply what they’ve learned by planning or designing a community map.  Learning about different types of communities helps children see beyond their own experiences. They begin to understand that:
 This is the third part of our “Growing Our World” series. In the final post, we’ll take one last step outward, looking at our country and the world. We’ll explore how we can help children see their place in the “big picture” and begin thinking like global citizens.  Related Posts Last week, we talked about ways for kids to share about themselves and the people closet to them. The next step is to have them look outward into the neighborhood and community around them. This will help them to see that they are part of something bigger. They will begin to notice that communities are made up of people, places, and helpers who keep things running every day. For young children, this is an exciting discovery. They realize they belong not only to a family but also to a wider circle where everyone has a role to play.  Neighborhood And Community ActivitesKids learn best when they can see and experience their surroundings. Simple activities can bring neighborhoods and communities to life:
 Other Options For InclusionNot every child will have positive associations with their neighborhood or all community helpers. Some may have moved often, lived in unsafe areas, or had experiences that make talking about certain helpers difficult. A few ways to keep activities safe and inclusive are:
 Bringing in Mapping SkillsThis is the perfect time to introduce basic mapping. Kids love creating maps of familiar places, and it gives them a concrete way to understand their community. Mapping Skills Activities Make Maps Map Reading Using Grids Legends Symbols etc is a great place to start, as it explains what the different parts of a map are and gives opportunities to work with and create maps. Once kids have been introduced to mapping, they might enjoy creating their own neighborhood map using the free resource booklet Creating A Neighborhood Map.  Why Communities MatterLearning about neighborhoods and communities helps children see how we all depend on one another. They start to notice that:
 The Map Skills Activities: Reading Maps, Making Maps, Creating a Community Project resource is a great option because it guides children step by step — from simple map drawings to building a community project. It turns mapping into hands-on learning. Another helpful tool is the Community Services and Industries Activities, which introduces children to the many roles people play in keeping a community running smoothly.  This is the second step in our “Growing Our World” series. Next time, we’ll take a closer look at different types of communities — rural, suburban, and urban — and explore how communities change over time.  Related Posts I've always enjoyed teaching social studies in my classroom. It's exciting to see the connections kids make from who they are to how they fit into their community and their place in the world. Kids naturally learn best when we start with learning about themselves, and then gradually widen the circle: first to their family, then their neighborhood, their community, their country, and finally the world. This approach helps children feel connected, curious, and confident as they learn about people and places beyond their own experience.  I have put together a Growing Our World blog series to help break down the process into manageable pieces. In this four-part blog series, we’ll explore:
 Starting With Me And My FamilyThis is a great place to start because kids naturally love to talk about their favorite food, the people they care about, and even what they want to be when they grow up. When we begin here, social studies feels less like memorizing facts and more like telling their own story. Starting small and personal also helps children feel confident. Once they’ve shared about themselves, it’s much easier for them to see how they fit into their family, their neighborhood, and eventually the wider world.  A great first step is inviting kids to share who they are in a fun, visual way.
 Important Alternatives For InclusionIt’s important to remember that not every child will have happy memories to share, and not every home life feels safe or loving. We can make sure every child feels included by:
 Connecting Today With Stories Of The PastChildren love to hear stories about the past, especially when they’re about their own families. Discussing with parents and grandparents about what school looked like when they were young can feed their curiosity. Reading stories about children growing up long ago and how their lives were so different can lead to wonderful conversations. If you want to turn this curiosity into a project, the Flat Family Project is a fun way to get families involved. Children create a “flat” version of themselves and send it on adventures with family or friends. The stories and photos they bring back make for a wonderful sharing day. (Note: If connecting with family members is difficult, other people can be chosen. In the past, I have sent flat families to some of my relatives for those who don't have someone to approach. This way they have also had stories and packages to share with others.)  Learning About Our HeritageFor older students, the Heritage Project: Discovering Our Roots is a gentle introduction to exploring where their family comes from, through favorite foods, languages spoken at home, or special traditions. It can also help them to feel proud of who they are and develop confidence in sharing this with others. (Note: I created this project when a young girl in my class was afraid to let people know about her heritage because she had been teased in her former school. By the end of the project, she was able to share many things about her culture and feel confident in letting people know about her heritage.)  Starting with “me and my family” isn’t just a fun way to begin the year, it’s a foundation. When kids see their own lives as part of a story, they begin to understand that everyone has a story worth sharing. They also start to learn that:
 This is just the first part of our Growing Our World series. In the next post, we’ll move from family life to neighborhoods and communities, and discover how the people around us help make our world work. Related Posts |
About Me Charlene Sequeira
I am a wife, mother of 4, grandmother of 9, and a retired primary and music teacher. I love working with kids and continue to volunteer at school and teach ukulele. 
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