Next we put it all together on a monthly calendar, in which we count down to special days, what day of the week the fourteenth of the month was, how many Saturdays (for example) are in this month. We learn the difference between numbers 7 and 17. We learn odd and even numbers. My students write the date everyday and learn to date their papers at Writing Workshop.
Next we count to 100 by ones, tens and fives. Later in the year we learn to count by two's and count above 100. We also learn how to make tally marks to 100. I start with a poster-board that reads "Tally to 100" and model using tally marks. This also reinforces learning to count by fives. This section can also be moved to your math time activities.
Next we keep track of the weather for each day of the school week on a graph and at the end of the month due summaries and comparisons. We also learn that we can "typical' weather in certain seasons. We keep track of the temperature on a thermometer and learn that higher numbers mean warmer weather and so on. Children also may practice this concept in Science Notebooks. I photocopy blank thermometers and instruct students to color with red crayon to the specified degree.
Last we keep track of who is here or absent on a "T-Chart". The chart has two columns with titles "Here" and "Not Here". I write the names of each student in the class on clothespins and clip them to the here side. The helper records who is absent in the class by moving the absent student's clothespin to the "Not Here" column. Then we count all that are here and not here and record the data on a post-it. This leads to adding up and down on a number line and addition and subtraction later on in the school year. This is an extension of an activity from the Scotts Foresman Investigations Math curriculum.
