good thing (even if all they are picking up on at this stage is initial sounds). 

Each number has a red dot to support correct numeral formation. I always teach my classes to roll out playdough 'snakes' to make each number. The red dot is where the end of the 'snake' should be placed before they start shaping the 'snake' into the correct number. Have them begin as you mean them to go on!

There are 2 red dots on the number '4', to remind the children that they will need 2 playdough 'snakes' to make this number (just like they'll need to lift their pencil to finish making a '4' when they start to write their numbers). 

There are 2 different versions of the '1' and '10' mats - one gets children to just make a straight line down, while the other gets them to make the short 'up' mark before completing the '1' with a straight line down. I always teach the straight line down, but I know that different schools (and teachers) do things differently, so the 2 options are both included. 
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Click on the picture above to get these mats for your own class. Hope your kiddos love them and they make your teaching life a bit easier. 

​I also hope your school year has started well! 

My Early Years classes have always loved dinosaurs, and this year is no exception. So Numbers to 10 with Dinosaurs has been updated and is ready to go! 

As always, when children are working with numbers, they need both concrete practice (with manipulatives) and representational (picture) practice - and both should be linked to the abstract (the numeral itself). 

I love Dot Cards in the Early Years - they are such a powerful way to build number sense in young children (see any of my Number Talk posts - and go here if you want a FREE set of dot cards for your own class). I also wanted my classes to have practice with Numbers to 10 at a concrete level - how to do both? 

Well - you can have your class make their own Dot Cards for each number, cutting out and coloring Dinosaur Eggs to fill 10 frames in different ways. The act of cutting out and moving the eggs makes this activity concrete, rather than purely representational - something we should always be looking to do where possible. As an added bonus, classes get some fine motor practice as well! 

My T-Rex Numbers to 10 booklet (picture at the top) has always been a great 'fast finisher' job. There are 2 pages for each number, and it works really well printed as a booklet. Detailed instructions are given in the file if you want smaller booklets, with only 1 of the 2 pages (so you don't have to think about which pages to print yourself!). 

Every early years classroom I've taught in has had children who needed different levels of support and challenge. And that can be tricky! Over the years, I've made a variety of different Numbers to 10 Dinosaur-themed printables that let children practice different skills, depending on where they are in their own development. This file has 10 different printables, which target a variety of skills and knowledge, including number recognition, number matching, number amounts, early addition and early pre-subtraction skills. And including a dinosaur or a dinosaur egg on a printable never hurts! 

I hope the start of your school year is going well! If you are interested in this Dinosaur Number to 10 pack, click on any of the pictures...

And if you haven't already started to Count the School Days, it isn't too late to begin! You can get everything you need in this (FREE!) pack.