Making The Basics Fun Letter u had two eyes making it look like a smile face
Crazy Fun Valentine Dot-To-Dot With A Twist

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Dot-To-Dot Math Worksheets With A Graphing Twist

It’s official!!! Your students love dot-to-dot puzzles, but you think “Meh, too easy.”  For a challenge these dot-to-dots come with a graphing twist.

Valentine dot-to-dot and graph product covers

Number Sense is Not Just For the Beginning Of The Year

We’ve talked a lot about number sense back in September. (Here’s the post if you missed it- Morning Activities) It seems we start the year strong in this area of number sense. We count and do tons of subitizing.

 Then the troubles and woes of daily classroom life start to make us forget the basics and what’s important.

In the meantime, many of our students still need extra practice with manipulating and understanding number.

Number Sense In The Middle Of The Year

Now it’s the beginning of February, and you are having this conversation with a student.  

Teacher: “What Number Comes After 12?” Student: “14, umm, I forgot.”  Teacher, “Sigh” with an internal scream ahhhhhhhhhhhhh).”

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Building Number Sense Is About Consistency

This is what happens if we don’t give them the opportunity to continue to practice their number sense.

They Forget

They aren’t going to forget how to count to 20, but I guarantee (because I’ve seen it) that some of them will forget what number comes after 12. Or they won’t be able to tell you 2 more than 12.

What's the Answer???

How can we make sure that doesn’t happen? By providing more number sense practice. But how do you know what they need?

3 Quick Number Sense Assessments

Here’s 3 quick assessment I to do with students to check their progress and to see what kinds of number sense activities you needed to do with them.  

It’s after some of these assessments that you need to start to differentiate and intensify some instruction for some of those kiddos.

Assessment 1: Count to 20

Assessment 1 is for the student to count to 20.  A teacher can discover a lot just by listening to a student counting to 20.

Assessment 1 Evaluation

Here’s how you evaluate it:

If the student can count to 20 go onto assessment two.

If they have difficulty with this you know that they need counting practice and in my experience one to one correspondence counting practice as well as number identification practice.  

They are unable to visualize number and don’t have a sense of the language of number.  In other words, they are still a stranger in the land of number. We need to make them feel at home and comfortable in number land.    

Also, I would asses to see if they can count to 5 and then to 10.  

You need to know where their ceiling of learning is and then go from there.

Assessment 2:What Number Comes After_____.

Ask them “What number comes after 12. Or What number comes before 12.”

Here’s how to evaluate this: If the student can tell you one number before or after a given number, go on to assessment three.

If they have trouble with this, they need lots of practice with seeing and using a number line.  They need to work on number sequence, number pattern, and number identification. They need practice counting starting anywhere on the number line. Giving and having a number line is essential as well as having number lines with missing numbers that they fill in.  

Assessment 3: Skip Count Starting Anywhere

Here’s assessment 3

You say, “What number is two numbers after 12?  Or What number is two numbers before 12?”

Here’s how you evaluate. If the student can tell you two numbers after a given number or before the giving number, you know that they are ready for addition and subtraction concepts.  

If they can’t, they are going to need some more practice as stated in Assessment 2.  –Lots of practice with a number line.

– Lots of practice with number pattern and count by practice.  

To help you serve your students, I have some free Valentine dot-to-dot and graphs for you.   

The Solution

Just in time for Valentines Day is Dot-to-Dot and Graph-Valentine’s.

They are:

-Ready for Valentines Day!

-Easy teacher prep!

-They do your laundry!….Well No… they don’t do your laundry… sorry.  

Valentine dot to dot and graph Step one. Connect the dots

Why Dot To Dot and Graph?????

Dot-To-Dot puzzles are fun.  They are. If they weren’t fun there wouldn’t be adult dot-to-dots too.  There is something magical about a dot to dot.

I’ve talked about it before.  Kids have no idea what the dot-to-dot is going to be. Their visualization and cognitive skills aren’t there yet.  They need the practice because these skills are going to help them when they begin to add and subtract. If they don’t have strong number sense those little cuties are going to have issues.

Finish the graph

Not Just Fun, Educational Too

Yep!!! Now your students can do their dot-to-dot, and you can have the satisfaction of knowing they are also flexing those graphing skills. Besides, you should have zero guilt about giving kids dot-to-dots. They are great for their visualization and cognitive development. They promote number identification and skip counting practice.

Built-in Differentiation…. Whaaaaat?

It’s true!! You still have some of those cute kids who are having trouble counting by 1s. 

But… Dang-It-Anyhow,

You also have students that could count by ones until next Tuesday.  

They’ve got it down pat.  So what do you do with those little ankle biters?

They get the challenge of counting by 10s, or 5s or 2s with their Dot-to-Dot and Graph activity.  Their challenge depends on their skill level.

Step 3 valentine dot to dot and graph

A Differentiation Freebie

Here’s your Free Preschool, Kindergarten, First and Second Grade Math Worksheets to get you started.

Click on each image below to get each freebie.  

It’s the same dot-to-dot and graph worksheet but look close.  

There is a count by, 1s, 5s, 10s, and 2s.  

Now you can challenge each student at their own level.  

Complete The Collection

If you are thinking “Oh baby, you know what I like.” and you’d like to complete the collection you have two options.

Complete the Collection By Going To Teachers Pay Teachers

Select your product below and go to my TpT store.

Complete the Collection For Free

You’re broke… I get it.  Even a couple bucks is like…. “Really? Another couple bucks?”  So I have a free option for you. Just click here—–> (Send me my Free Valentine Count by 1s SET with Bonus Color Sheets/Templates), and I will send you the Valentine count by 1s set (complete with Bonus Templates) for free. Just fill out the form and check your email inbox… Simple, Done, Ready For You To Use. 

Also, all my email subscribers get this free too.

Crazy right?

And the good news is I will send you more freebies in the days to come. My subscribers love their freebies.

PS. I post almost every week with some freebie.  Sign up today and don’t miss another freebie

Number Sense Made Easy- Because I’ve Been In Your Shoes Easy Prep for the Busy Teacher

Let’s face it.  From here on out things are going to start getting a little wild.  High stakes testing, report cards, student progress concerns, final teacher evaluations and that’s just the beginning.  

You are going to need some easy prep, high engagement, independent, standard addressing activities for your students.  

An Extra Bonus For You and Your Students

I remember once a student did a dot to dot and then got another piece of paper and placed it over the dot-to-dot and then traced the shape on the blank paper.  She decorated it up and added her own detail. She was so proud of her art. She made her own template and added her own special touch.

Print this little critter out and use it to make a fast and fabulous bulletin board for Valentine’s day.  Use him to decorate your Valentine boxes. There are lots and lots of uses.

That’s why I decided to give you a bonus 12 template/color sheets.  

Here’s what they look like.

Another Freebie

It’s one of the cute little Valentine Monsters Color Page. 

 

Until Next Time

I hope you have a great first few days of February.  Enjoy your freebies and keep being your amazing self.  Blessings and Peace. – Angie K

Acknowledgments

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Angie K

Angie K

I love to help teachers create an amazing teacher life.
I've taught for 25+ years and I want to help you find joy and energy in each day.

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