Teaching Foundational Skills with Play-Doh Mats!

Play-doh mats are great for tactile learning!  I use them often in my kindergarten classroom and my students love them!  They are great to use for centers or when you want to keep your kiddos busy while you are doing beginning of the year assessments.  They are also great for RTI!

In the beginning of the year I use these letter/sound play-doh mats for my students to practice letter identification.  

I also use these number identification play-doh mats.  I like how they include writing the number and number word.  Kids also practice counting by using the ten frame.

As my students learn their sight words, I have them use these sight word play-doh mats (Fry Lists 1-100 and 101 -200 are available!)

As the kids learn addition and subtraction I use the below play-doh mats to practice these skills.  You can also place the mat in a dry erase pocket.  

If you would like to take a look at all the play-doh mats in my store check out my "Play-Doh Mats: The Bundle."  There are 8 play-doh mat products that you can use throughout the year to practice skills that include:

Letter/Sound Identification

Number Identification (1-20)

Kindergarten Sight Words (Fry List 1 - 100)

First Grade Sight Words (Fry List 101 - 200)

CVC Short Vowels

Addition and Subtraction

CVCE (Long Vowels)

Digraphs

Shapes (FREEBIE)

Here is a FREEBIE for your students to enjoy: Shape Play-Doh Mats.

Irregular Ten Frames to Build Number Sense

Do you use ten frames in your classroom?  How about irregular ten frames?  I use both standard and irregular ten frames and have seen so much growth in my students' number sense.  Irregular ten frames require higher level thinking and promote children to develop their own strategies to count.  I want to share how I use irregular ten frames in my classroom.

I begin each math lesson with a number talk.  For each number talk I choose two irregular ten frames.  I draw the frames on chart paper and cover them up so the children cannot see the ten frames.  

I flash the first ten frame for about five seconds.  The children have to count the dots as quickly as they can.  If they know the amount of dots, they give me a thumbs up right below their chin.  I flash the ten frame once more to give the kids another chance at counting.  Then, I ask some of the children the number they counted. I choose two children who counted correctly to share their strategy for each ten frame.  I record their strategies on chart paper.  We compare and contrast the different strategies shared.

As I do more number talks in my classroom, I have seen my students' critical thinking expand and number sense strengthen.  They begin to group the dots in ways that make them easier to count (foundation for addition).  They no longer count the dots one by one.  Some children are even moving the dots in their head to make them easier and faster to count.

If you would like to use irregular ten frames in your classroom check out my FREEBIE below by clicking here: Irregular Ten Frames

Let me know how you use irregular ten frames in your classroom!  I would love to hear how you use them in your classroom!

Building Number Sense with Play-Doh Mats!

My students LOVE play-doh!  Whenever they are using it, they are very engaged.  Working with play-doh also helps develop my students' fine motor skills.  I made number play-doh mats to build my students' number sense and increase their number recognition.  

I like these mats because they have the children work on writing the number with a dry erase marker and creating the number with play-doh.  

The children also have to show the number in a ten frame.  Each mat provides them with a lot of number practice!  If you would like to use these mats, you can find them here: Numbers 0-20 Play-Doh Mats.