Perhaps you’re wondering if using a vertical number line would be beneficial for your students.
In my last blog post, I suggested a vertical number line as one way to help your students connect numerals to number words.
Unfortunately, the only ones I had handy to show you were ones to 12 or 20 that I used to teach addition and subtraction strategies.
Eventually, I located the 0 to 100, floor to ceiling, vertical number line I made for my classroom on an old thumb drive. Then it was easy to create a new and improved free version for you based on the old template.
Still wondering about the benefits…
Vertical number lines can help your kindergarten, first, and second-grade students:
- visualize the pattern of increasing tens and ones in two-digit numbers. They can easily see the sequence and repetition of the digits.
- understand the value of numbers faster and easier. They are able to see the numbers increasing or decreasing in value. 24 is lower or less than 25 and 48 is higher or more than 38.
- grasp the concepts of counting up and counting down when adding or subtracting. It is evident that sums increase and differences decrease in value.
- make a connection between the terms rounding up and rounding down to the nearest ten to what they see.
While I taught rounding with a number line, I never thought to use a vertical one, even with it right there on the wall!
You can also create empty and interactive vertical number lines.
How to Prepare Your Vertical Number Line
Of course, this is technically a number path and not a number line. A number path is an effective counting model as opposed to a length model. Each number is clearly marked with a rectangle. Each rectangle can be counted.
I added stars in rectangles to make counting even easier. The stars are also color-coded for counting by 5’s and 10’s.
This number path is approximately 93 3/8 inches or 7 foot 9 3/8 inches tall.
- Start by choosing color or black/ gray/ white.
- Print the selected pages. Use cardstock and laminate (consider glare) for durability.
- Cut each strip carefully along the outside edge of the solid and dotted black lines.
- Put the strips together with tape. Start with zero and one. Place tape in the blank spaces. Align and overlap the ends of each strip, covering up each blank box.
- Or you can create one that folds up accordion-style for storage. To do this, cut off the empty boxes. Lay the strips face down so the ends abut. Then, tape across the edges.
Now you’re all set to post it on your wall!
More Ideas for Vertical Number Lines
Find ideas and resources for using an interactive vertical number line to develop number sense (Mr. Elementary Math) and using vertical number lines for adding multiples of tens (What I Have Learned).
Looking for More Resources…
- Frog Hopping Count Down (blog post with a freebie that includes a vertical number line to 12)
- Piggy Bank Count Up (a resource to purchase with a vertical number line to 20)
- Candy Bag Count Up (same as above with a different theme)
Click the highlighted words to download your free copy of the vertical number line 0-100.
I’d love to hear your ideas for using vertical number lines in the comments below!
Photo in title image by Coffee Beans and Children’s Dreams.
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