Counting is one of the most important parts of life–it’s so critical to our day-to-day activities that we often do it subconsciously. Three cars and a truck in front of us. One more cup of water for this recipe. Two more classes before the bell rings. To fully perform calculations and math quickly, learners benefit from consciously counting by groupings, so ones, then tens, then hundreds. This free counting by tens Spanish spider pack is designed to set your learners on the path of counting by tens in Spanish–whether they’re three or thirteen, thirty or ninety.

Learning Focus

• Identifying ones (unidades) and tens (decenas) in Spanish
• Counting by ones (unidades) and tens (decenas) in Spanish
• Developing and improving fine motor skills

Spanish Vocabulary

If you are unsure of the pronunciation of any of the words, check out the free pronunciation videos on SpanishDict.com. For example, click on the little microphone icon here to hear two different Spanish pronunciations for unidad, which means various things but, in this context, refers to ones. Looking for another word? Simply type the word into the search bar on that link, and you’ll usually find a pronunciation link.

• Unidades: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve
• Decenas: diez, veinte, treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa
• Other: una(s), la(s), araña(s)

What’s Included

In the free counting by tens in Spanish spider pack, you’ll find more than ten pages of self-directing, self-correcting practice. The pack is broken down by:

Self-Correcting Tens Puzzles – Decenas

Puzzles are fantastic for two things: initial learning and demonstration of acquired information. Here we have puzzles that are great for initial learning. The best part? They are self-correcting, which means you can set these up at a station, in a morning basket, etc. Just give each kid a set, and the puzzles will correct themselves since no puzzle fits another.

Las unidades (Ones) Pages

Unidades means, at least in this context, ones. So, las unidades are 0-9. They’re literally the “ones” you add to bigger groupings, which are decenas or tens. You can read more about decenas below.

The unidades pages included are a print-out and two different kinds of fillable worksheets. The worksheets are designed to be used whether you have learners who can or cannot write, as you can cut out spiders to use for non-writers. See the below picture to see how you can use these for learners anywhere from three to thirty-three!

Las Decenas (Tens) Pages

Decenas, means, at least in this context, tens. So, las decenas are the ten counts from 10-90. They’re literally the “tens” you add to bigger groupings, which are centenas or hundreds.

Like the unidades pages, the decenas pages include a print-out and two different kinds of fillable worksheets. These worksheets are also designed to be used whether you have learners who can or cannot write, as you can cut out tens spiders to use for non-writers. See the above picture to see how this might work for your learners.

Practice Webs

There are practice webs for both the unidades and the decenas. And, again, the pages are designed to work for your learners wherever they are in their writing journeys. For little learners who aren’t ready to write “big” numbers like 80 and 90 yet, you can use the included manipulable spiders. For writers, you can ask students to just write the correct translation on the web itself if you prefer.

Ideas, Tips, and Tricks

Below we’ve outlined some ideas and tips for this counting by tens Spanish pack. If you have a great idea to share, we’d love to hear from you or to read your comments below.

Reuse

To reuse the pages, consider dry-erase markers and lamination, inexpensive sheet protectors like the ones that go in binders, or clear contact paper. For the little spider pieces, you can even use clear packing tape. These ideas work especially well for classrooms and multiple students. Just write, swipe, and switch (or store and save for another learner, class, etc.).

Maximize Independent Learning

The best part of this set is that you can use it with independent learning of various types. Have kids who need to quarantine? Send them home with a pack and have them practice and then submit a worksheet page or even a picture of their spider pages. Run learning centers? Make this one of your grab-and-go sets. Just need some print-outs and a quiz? Print the unidades and decenas pages back-to-back and then use the word webs for fast-visual quizzes.

Races, Partners, and Substitute Packs

In addition to independent learning, you can pair students off and have them check each other’s work, run races with teams, or simply work together. Need to freshen up a sub binder or make a stack of at-home work for students who are being sent out of the classroom? This is a great one to include, as it requires very little input from an instructor, and non-Spanish speaking substitutes or parents can help students check this one.

Download the Counting by Tens in Spanish Pack