Session 1 Teacher Guide Tactile Math Champions
Session 1 Teacher Guide
Topic: Numbers 0-10 & Penny Introduction | Duration: 20 Minutes
Session 1 of 4
Group Size 4 Students (IEP)
Primary Target 0-10 Count & Penny ID
Materials Needed Playdough, Real Pennies, Number Playdough Workmat
1 Kinesthetic Warm-Up: Number Jumps
5 Minutes
Students stand up and jump physically to practice oral number sequencing and tactile space awareness.
Teacher Script: "Everyone stand up in your spot! Feel the floor under your feet. Let's count from 0 to 10. When I say a number, jump once in place and call it out! Ready? Zero... [students jump] One... [students jump]... Excellent! Now, I will hold up a number card. Read it in your head, then jump that many times!"
2 Tactile Playdough Sculpting & Penny Discovery
10 Minutes
Students roll playdough coils to shape numbers on their workmats, then feel a real copper penny.
Part A: Playdough Numbers "Pinch off a piece of playdough. Roll it between your palms. Make a long, skinny playdough snake! Now, bend your snake to match the giant number 5 on your workmat. Press it down so it sticks! Trace it with your pointer finger."
Part B: Meet the Penny "I am putting a copper penny in your hand. Close your eyes and squeeze it. Is it smooth or bumpy? Turn it over—feel the ridged edge? This is a penny. It has a warm copper color. A penny is worth exactly one cent!"
3 Penny Presses & Diagnostic Exit Check
5 Minutes
Students press pennies into playdough circles on the workmat while verbally counting.
IEP Tracking Task: Place the Workmat in front of each student. Have them place 5 playdough balls in the ten-frame, then press 1 real penny into each ball while speaking the total value ("1 cent, 2 cents, 3 cents..."). Record correctness.
IEP Accommodations & Sensory Support
Sensory-Seeking Needs If a student is hyper-focused on playdough texture, let them press a penny into it 3 times to get the sensory feedback out of the way before beginning the math task.
Low-Vision Support Make sure students are holding real copper pennies with high-relief textures. Let them trace the profile of Lincoln with their thumb.
Curriculum Resource Packet Page 1
Number Playdough Workmat Tactile Math Champions | Lesson 1
My Playdough & Penny Mat
Name:
Date:
1. Roll & Sculpt Playdough
Roll a playdough snake and press it inside the big number 5!
START ➔
1
2
3
4
5
2. Real Penny Matching
Place 1 real copper penny directly inside the circle below.
Place 1¢ Penny Here
Copper Color • Lincoln • Smooth Edge
3. Penny Stamp & Press
Put 5 small balls of playdough below, then stamp a penny into each!
1
2
3
4
5
Squeeze and count them out loud!
4. My Giant Ten-Frame (0-10 Match) Put 1 penny in each box to count to 10!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Tactile Math Champions Workmat 1
Tactile Warmups Presentation Warm-Up 1 • Pennies & Playdough
Kinesthetic Number Jumps!
Session 1
HOW TO JUMP:
Stand in your designated spot on the rug.
Look at the giant numbers on the screen.
When your teacher calls a number, take a GIANT JUMP and repeat the number!
"Feel the floor under your feet as you jump!"
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tactile Math Champions Slide 1 of 4
Warm-Up 2 • Nickels & Dimes
Body Tap Skip Counting!
Session 2
Taps on Shoulders (5s)
Tap your shoulders for each number below:
5 Tap 1
10 Tap 2
15 Tap 3
20 Tap 4
Taps on Legs (10s)
Tap your legs/thighs for each number below:
10 Tap 1
20 Tap 2
30 Tap 3
40 Tap 4
Tactile Math Champions Slide 2 of 4
Warm-Up 3 • Quarter Quest
The Quarter Leap Hopscotch!
Session 3
BIG STEPS:
Stomp onto each giant coin on the floor and shout the total value!
Each step is worth exactly 25¢!
Leap 1
25¢
Twenty-Five
Leap 2
50¢
Fifty Cents
Leap 3
75¢
Seventy-Five
Tactile Math Champions Slide 3 of 4
Warm-Up 4 • Subtraction Treasures
The Blast-Off Countdown!
Session 4
COUNT BACKWARDS:
Squat very low and count backwards from 10 to 0. At zero, explode upward into the sky!
This is subtraction in action—taking away numbers one by one!
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0! Launch
Tactile Math Champions Slide 4 of 4
Session 2 Teacher Guide Tactile Math Champions
Session 2 Teacher Guide
Topic: Nickels & Dimes | Duration: 20 Minutes
Session 2 of 4
Group Size 4 Students (IEP)
Primary Target Nickel (5¢) & Dime (10¢)
Materials Needed Real Nickels, Real Dimes, Nickels & Dimes Workmat
1 Body Tap Skip Counting: 5s and 10s
5 Minutes
Students stand up and tap their shoulders or thighs to count by 5s and 10s. This integrates auditory and tactile memory.
Teacher Script: "Stand up big and tall, Champions! Place your hands on your shoulders. When we tap our shoulders, we count by fives: 5... 10... 15... 20! Good! Now, slide your hands down to your thighs. Tap your legs while we count by tens: 10... 20... 30... 40! Let's do that once more. Feel the rhythm of the numbers!"
2 Tactile Contrast: Nickel vs. Dime
10 Minutes
Students hold both coins simultaneously, describing sizes and edges to build deep perceptual representations.
Part A: Sizing Comparison "Put a silver nickel in your left hand. Put a silver dime in your right hand. Squeeze them. Which one feels bigger? Yes! The nickel is thick and big. The dime is very small and thin. Even though the dime is smaller, it's worth more!"
Part B: Edges and Values "Feel the edge of the nickel with your thumb. Is it rough or smooth? Smooth! That's a 5-cent nickel. Now feel the edge of the dime. Feel those tiny ridges? It's scratchy and rough! That's a 10-cent dime."
3 Coin Sorting and Addition within 10
5 Minutes
Students place physical coins on their sorting mat and solve a basic word problem using coins as counters.
IEP Tracking Task: Instruct students: "Show me a nickel and two pennies on your mat. Count how many cents that is." (5 + 1 + 1 = 7¢). Observe if they can start counting from 5 (nickel) and count on by ones for pennies, or if they count everything as single units.
IEP Accommodations & Sensory Support
Size/Value Confusion Many students struggle because the nickel is physically larger than the dime but worth less. Emphasize: "Dimes are small but mighty—they hold ten cents!"
Kinesthetic Reinforcement For students needing physical feedback, have them tap their foot for a nickel (deep sound) and click their tongue for a dime (high sound).
Curriculum Resource Packet Page 2
Nickels Dimes Workmat Tactile Math Champions | Lesson 2
Nickels & Dimes Sorting Mat
Name:
Date:
1. Nickel Docking Bay
Place 5-cent nickels inside this dock!
Nickel 5¢
SENSORY KEYS Thick • Smooth Edge • Silver
2. Dime Docking Bay
Place 10-cent dimes inside this dock!
Dime 10¢
SENSORY KEYS Thin • Ridged Edge • Silver
3. Coin Combination Builder
Place real coins inside the dashed circles, then count their total sum!
Coin 1
Coin 2
=
Total Value
Write Cents (¢)
4. Story Problem Arena (Sum within 10) Read & model with physical coins!
"Leo has 1 nickel in his pocket. Mia has 3 pennies. They put all their coins together. How much money do they have in total?"
Place coins here to solve:
1 Nickel
Penny 1
Penny 2
Penny 3
Tactile Math Champions Workmat 2
Session 3 Teacher Guide Tactile Math Champions
Session 3 Teacher Guide
Topic: Quarters & Addition within 20 | Duration: 20 Minutes
Session 3 of 4
Group Size 4 Students (IEP)
Primary Target Quarter (25¢) & Add to 20
Materials Needed Real Quarters, Playdough, Quarter Quest Workmat
1 Kinesthetic Hopscotch: The Quarter Leap
5 Minutes
Students stand and pretend to jump across big "quarter steps" on the floor to internalize the value of 25.
Teacher Script: "Everyone up! I've taped four giant circles on the floor. Each one is a giant quarter! Step onto the first one. Let's make a big stomp and say: '25!' Ready? Stomp! '25!' Now, leap to the next one: Stomp! '50!' Leap again: Stomp! '75!' Last one, big jump: 'One Dollar!' Excellent spatial leaps!"
2 Meet the Giant Quarter & Double Ten-Frame Addition
10 Minutes
Students explore the physical properties of a quarter and model a story problem within 20 using double ten-frames.
Part A: The Quarter Tactile Scan "Hold this big quarter. Run your thumb over Lincoln's portrait. Now, feel the edge. Hear that? Scratchy! It has heavy ridged edges. It is much larger and heavier than a dime or nickel. It represents 25 cents."
Part B: Story Addition within 20 "Look at problem 4. 'Zoe has 8 shiny dimes. Her teacher gives her 4 more dimes. How many dimes does she have now?' Put 8 playdough balls on your top ten-frame. Put 4 on the bottom one. Let's fill the top frame to make ten, then count on: 10... 11... 12!"
3 Double-Frame Playdough Stamp Out
5 Minutes
Students work on their mats to stamp playdough spheres using quarters and count up to 20.
IEP Tracking Task: Watch each student model '9 + 5'. Note if they: 1. Correctly represent 9 and 5 on double frames. 2. Physically move 1 ball from the '5-frame' to complete the ten-frame (tactile subitizing) to arrive at 14.
IEP Accommodations & Sensory Support
Subitizing Scaffold If students struggle to add numbers within 20, always guide them to 'make ten' first. Moving playdough physically from one ten-frame to another makes this abstract concept fully concrete.
Sensory Integration Let students tap a heavy wooden ruler or sensory block 25 times rapidly, or make 25 playdough stamps, to experience '25' as a quantity before moving to coin values.
Curriculum Resource Packet Page 3
Quarter Quest Workmat Tactile Math Champions | Lesson 3
My Quarter Quest Workmat
Name:
Date:
1. The Giant Quarter Target
Place 1 real silver quarter below and explore its ridges!
Quarter 25¢
SENSORY CODES Very Large • Heavily Ridged Edge • Silver Color
2. Double Ten-Frame Math Arena (0-20 Model) Roll playdough spheres or lay coins inside the frames.
Ten-Frame A
Ten-Frame B
3. My Final Answer
Write the final amount here after solving with your double ten-frame.
¢
Tactile Math Champions Workmat 3
Session 4 Teacher Guide Tactile Math Champions
Session 4 Teacher Guide
Topic: Subtraction within 20 & Final Goal Check | Duration: 20 Minutes
Session 4 of 4
Group Size 4 Students (IEP)
Primary Target Subtraction to 20 & Coin Match
Materials Needed Various Coins, Playdough, Subtraction Treasures Workmat
1 Blast-Off Count Down: 10 to 0
5 Minutes
Students squat down low and count backwards from 10, jumping up in a blast-off when they reach zero.
Teacher Script: "Crouch down low to the floor! We are rockets preparing for blast-off. To launch, we count backward from 10 to 0. With each number, crouch a little bit lower, and on zero, jump high and shout 'Blast-off!' Ready? 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... ZERO! BLAST-OFF! Super launches, everyone!"
2 Subtraction within 20: "Take-Away Treasures"
10 Minutes
Students model a subtraction word problem on their mats, physically swiping coins off the ten-frames.
Part A: The Take-Away Swipe "Look at Section 2 on your workmats. We have 14 dimes. Put 14 real dimes on your double ten-frames. Let's make sure! 10 on top, 4 on bottom. Good! Now, a giant wave sweeps away 5 dimes! Physically swipe 5 dimes off your mat and drop them into your cup! How many are left?"
Part B: The Cumulative Swap "Let's check our coins. Hold up a quarter. Show me a nickel. Show me a penny. Squeeze them all. Excellent job recognizing them! Let's place a nickel and a dime together. What's the sum? 5 + 10 is 15 cents!"
3 Final Review & Task Card Assessments
5 Minutes
Use the Task Card Bundle to run a quick final diagnostic on number and coin matching.
IEP Tracking Task: Present Task Cards 1-4 to each student. Let them touch the cards and complete the matching tasks. Use the tracking grid in the Task Card Bundle to note achievement for matching, oral identification, and sums/differences within 20.
IEP Accommodations & Sensory Support
Kinesthetic Reinforcement For subtraction, physically brushing, swiping, or 'flicking' coins off the page into a noisy cup provides deep cognitive feedback that the quantity is disappearing.
Emotional Regulation IEP students can feel frustrated during assessments. Emphasize that task cards are 'treasure cards' and celebrate each successful coin identification with a high-five or a stamp!
Curriculum Resource Packet Page 4
Subtraction Treasures Workmat Tactile Math Champions | Lesson 4
My Subtraction Treasures Mat
Name:
Date:
1. Master Coin Docking Station (Review All Coins)
Place one of each coin directly into its correct docking circle!
Penny
1¢
Smooth Edge
Nickel
5¢
Thick • Smooth
Dime
10¢
Thin • Ridges
Quarter
25¢
Large • Heavy
2. Subtraction "Take-Away" Grid (Model to 20) Put coin counters inside, then SWIPE away to subtract!
Ten-Frame A
Ten-Frame B
3. My Final Answer
Write the final amount here after swiping away your subtractend coins.
¢
Tactile Math Champions Workmat 4
Task Card Bundle Tactile Math Champions
IEP Goal Task Cards
Cut along the dotted lines for 8 tactile centers cards.
Center Cards
Task 1: Numbers Goal 1
"Find the card with 8 circles. Pinch off 8 small playdough balls. Match them to the circles and count out loud: 1 to 8!"
Tactile Match 0-10 ID
Task 2: Sensation Goal 2
"Close your eyes. Hold the small, thin coin with ridged, scratchy edges. Which coin is this? Tell your teacher its name and value!"
Blind Touch Dime ID
Task 3: Addition Goal 3
"Leo puts 1 nickel (5¢) and 3 pennies (1¢ each) on his workmat. Slide them together. What is the total sum in cents?"
Combine Sum to 10
Task 4: Coins Goal 2
"Lay down 1 heavy silver quarter (25¢) and 1 copper penny (1¢). Trace their shapes with your finger. What is the sum of these coins?"
Touch Scan Sum to 30
Task 5: Story Sum Goal 3
"A pirate has 8 silver dimes. He finds 5 more silver dimes on the beach. Model this on your double ten-frame. How many dimes in all?"
Add Story Sum to 20
Task 6: Take-Away Goal 4
"Put 9 real pennies on your ten-frame. Physically swipe 4 pennies off the page and drop them in your cup. How many pennies are left?"
Remove Diff to 10
Task 7: Story Diff Goal 4
"Zoe has 15¢. She gives 6¢ to her friend. Fill 15 slots on your double ten-frame with playdough. Squish 6 balls down. How many are left?"
Playdough Squish Diff to 20
Task 8: Mixed Sum Review
"Show me 1 dime (10¢), 1 nickel (5¢), and 1 penny (1¢) on your workmat. Point and count them in order from largest value to smallest."
Cumulative All Coins
Tactile Math Champions assessment Page 1 of 2
Tactile Math Champions
IEP Progress & Recording Matrix
Use this sheet to track student goals and log card completion scores.
Teacher Tracker
IEP Target Reference Matrix
Goal 1: Number Match & Oral ID Identify and match numbers 0 to 10 both verbally and using tactile playdough traces (80% accuracy).
Goal 2: Coin Identification & Value Identify penny, nickel, dime, and quarter verbally and by tactile texture; match correct value (80% accuracy).
Goal 3: Addition Story Problems to 20 Solve addition word problems within 20 by placing physical coin counters in double ten-frames (75% accuracy).
Goal 4: Subtraction Story Problems to 20 Solve subtraction word problems within 20 by physically swiping/removing coin counters in ten-frames (75% accuracy).