Valentine Bulletin Board

This interactive Valentine Bulletin Board idea is one to love! Students work independently to practice early math skills. When it’s not in use, it becomes a festive decoration!

Bulletin Board Supplies:

• Large envelopes – The envelopes in the picture are heavy felt. They’re from the Target dollar spot (in January), but any large envelope labeled with the numbers would work!
• Printables from our TPT store 
• Bright cardstock – Cut these into heart shapes. Alternatively, purchase pre-cut heart shapes like the ones pictured.
• A basket for the pieces

Essential Math Skill: Subitizing

First, what IS subitizing?  Most people are able to do it – and don’t even know that they are!

Subitizing is looking at a small grouping and recognizing how many are in the group without counting.

Research has shown that students that are good at subitizing typically have more success in math!

There are two types of subitizing:

1. Perceptual subitizing is knowing how many are in a set.  Rolling a single die and identifying the number without counting each dot is an example of this. Most preschoolers work on perceptual subitizing.
2. Conceptual subitizing is seeing different parts to a larger set and putting them together to make a total without counting.  For example, if two dice are rolled and show two dots on the first die and four dots on the second die, grouping those together to make six.  This is typically a skill for more advanced students.

Essential Math Skill: Number Recognition

Another amazing feature of this bulletin board is the chance to practice number recognition. Students find a picture and match it to the correct numeral.  Using a variety of pictures help students discover numbers in different ways.  Adding new “pieces of mail” to the basket is sure to excite the students.

Would you like to include more interactive bulletin boards as learning centers in your own classroom? We have tons of easy, developmentally appropriate examples pictured here.