Read counting books to first-graders. Choose books that incorporate numbers through 100, such as H. A. Rey's "Curious George Learns to Count from 1 to 100" or Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson's "Chicka Chicka 1,2,3." Make sure the books contain pictures that enhance number recognition. Keep plenty of counting books in your classroom library.
Sing counting songs with the students. Choose tunes that include counting by twos, fives and tens and backwards from 20 such as those on the Have Fun Teaching website. Involve students physically by incorporating rhythmic movements such as clapping, dancing and jumping.
Take the students outdoors to practice counting. March together for 100 steps. Skip to the count of 20. Jump while counting backward from 15. As you complete each activity, tell the students to shout out the numbers together.
Divide the class into small groups and provide manipulative blocks. Instruct students to work in teams, counting out 100 blocks. Have them arrange the blocks into patterns, such as groups of five, ten or twenty.
Distribute pieces of string and dry pasta, such as rigatoni or ziti, to each student. Instruct them to thread several pieces of pasta onto their strings to form necklaces. Have each student present his creation, announcing the number pasta pieces he has included. Allow students to count items on one another's necklaces.
Have the students play online counting games. Use resources such as Harcourt's "100 Chart," in which students see a grid of numbers from 1 to 100 and must type missing digits into blank spaces. Use sites such as Toon University's "Counting to 100," to give students practice in number sequencing. Play one of the many counting games designed for first-graders by IXL Learning. Pair struggling students with more successful peers.
Celebrate the 100th day of school in February. Instruct students to collect 100 objects in a bag. Have them present their bag of items to the class so students can see how 100 looks in many forms and can count each other's items.
Download free printable counting worksheets. Have students fill in missing numbers and find various counting patterns. Choose from options at Math-Salamanders' website. Download printable dot-to-dot pictures from Scholastic's website that require students to recognize numbers in sequence. Have students practice counting backward. Select "Countdown" worksheets from Education.com's website.