Days of School Counter
Count the days of school to the 100th day with straws, a hundreds chart, tally marks, money and a progress bar.
Today is day
–
of school
How to count
Add today adds one day and works once per calendar day on this device. −1 takes a day away; using it right after Add today lets you add today again. Type a number and press Set to start partway through the year.
Goal
Confetti bursts once on the 100th day and once on your goal day, if the board is open that day.
Show on the board
Count the Days of School to the 100th Day
Counting the days of school is a favorite morning meeting routine in K–2, and this board does it on the big screen. It shows "Today is day 47 of school" in giant numbers, with a progress bar and how many school days are left until the 100th day, or until day 180 or your own goal. The same number appears as straws in bundles of ten, a hundreds chart with the days so far colored, tally marks in groups of five, pennies, dimes and dollars, and in expanded and word form. Press Add today each morning, or let it count weekdays from your first day of school. Confetti bursts on the 100th day.
Set up the counter in 3 steps
Choose how to count. Pick Count by hand to press Add today each morning, or Auto from start date to count Monday through Friday from your First day of school. Starting partway through the year? Type the number under Set the count and press Set.
Pick a goal and the pictures. Count toward the 100th day, the End of year (180 days) or a Custom number. Under Show on the board, turn the Straws, Hundreds chart, Tally marks, Money and Expanded & word form on or off.
Count it at morning meeting. Open Classroom Presentation Mode to show the board full screen with ads hidden. In Count by hand mode the Add today and −1 buttons stay on screen, so a student helper can add the day. Press Esc to exit.
Ways to use the Days of School Counter in class
Daily place value routine
Each morning, press Add today and ask how many bundles of ten and loose straws the board will show before you look. Read the number in expanded form and word form together, and talk about what happens to the loose straws on the day the count reaches the next ten.
Count by 5s with tally marks
Point to the tally marks and count the groups of five out loud, then count on by ones for the extra marks. Ask students to check the total against the big number and the hundreds chart, so they see three ways to show the same count.
Saving a penny a day
Turn on Money and treat each day of school as one penny saved. Every tenth day, ten pennies become a dime, and on the 100th day the board shows one dollar. Students can say the amount in cents and as dollars and cents.
Countdown to the 100th day party
Read the line under the progress bar, such as 53 more school days until the 100th day, and ask how many days until the next ten. In Auto from start date mode, the board also shows the date your goal day falls on, which helps you plan the celebration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the automatic count work?
Auto from start date counts every Monday to Friday from the first day of school through today, except the no-school days you add. It does not know your district calendar, so add holidays, breaks, snow days and teacher work days with Add no-school days. On a weekend or a listed day off, the board shows the days so far and says there is no school today.
What happens if I press Add today twice?
Add today works once per calendar day, then the button reads Today added until tomorrow. If you added a day by mistake, press −1. Using −1 right after Add today also lets you add today again. To fix a bigger difference, type the right number and press Set.
What happens on the 100th day?
When the count reaches 100, the board shows Happy 100th Day of School! and confetti bursts once that day. With the sound on, a short fanfare plays too after you have tapped the page once. If you pick a goal other than 100, your goal day gets the same celebration, and Celebrate again replays the confetti.
Can I count to the end of the school year instead?
Yes. Under Goal, pick End of year to count toward day 180, or Custom to choose any goal from 2 to 365 days. The progress bar and the days left line follow your goal, and the board still celebrates the 100th day along the way.
What does the hundreds chart show after day 100?
The chart shows the hundred the count is in, so from day 101 it switches to the 101 to 200 chart. On day 100 the straws add a hundreds column with a big bundle of ten tens. Today’s square is yellow on days that are counted, and your goal day has a red ring when it is on the chart.
Is my count saved?
Yes. The count, counting mode, first day of school, no-school days, goal and board settings stay in this browser on this device, so they are still there tomorrow. Use the Backup page to move them to another browser or computer.