Using Counters!

Here are some of my students using clear counters (chips) to help with counting sets of coins!  This really helps them to keep track of the coins they have already counted and the values climbing up the 100's chart!  As they counted the mixed sets of coins on the cards (these are from my Sassy Cat Spending Spree Math Tub) they used the 100's chart to count up!!! Money is always so tricky for my students each year and I try to provide lots of tools (100's charts, number lines, counters) to help my students when needed! My students know they can get whatever "tools" they need.  The key is knowing when students are ready to transition from these "conceptual hands on tools" to mentally doing math on their own.  For example, many students still need the 100's chart to see adding ten/taking ten away from larger numbers (numbers and their neighbors) but my goal is to help students eventually transition to doing these skills on their own with no tools.  It takes the student showing me through conversation and class observation before I feel they are "developmentally ready" for this!  Would love your input on this.   Let me know what you think.  Thanks!-Yvonne