Checkerboard Number 25 Tracing for a Bright Five-by-Five Read
Keep the twenty-five lesson handy alongside the other 99 original tracing sheets in one $8 printable collection.
The original TWENTY-FIVE worksheet retains every numeral, word and sequence activity.
The full sheet pairs the large 25 model with four numeral lines, two TWENTY-FIVE writing rows and its ten-number strip.
On a small game board, Eli places one marker in each square of a five-by-five grid. A helper says the board shows five because she has counted one edge. Eli points across all the rows and checks the twenty-five markers with a different arrangement. Use Number 25 Tracing to give the grid markers a written label. Read twenty-five aloud and look at its large printed model before tracing. In the 21–30 strip, find 25 and compare it with the numbers around it.
A five-square row gets moved to a new place
Slide one full row out of the grid and ask the learner to point to the remaining rows. Then put the loose row beside the board so all twenty-five pieces can still be counted. Relate the removed row to the 5 in the number word, then regroup the board's other twenty pieces into two tens. Find the middle colored box in the early part of the 21–30 strip and read it aloud. Before ending, let the child choose one dotted 25 to trace and say what the mark names in the checkerboard example.
The boxes beside 25
Look for 26 to the right of 25. Hide the shaded 25, read its exposed neighbors and ask which value is covered. Reveal 25 and read twenty-five. One correct location is enough during the checkerboard exercise.
Start at 25 after using the colored clue once. Move one position toward a printed neighbor and ask what number appears. Move back to 25 and let the learner explain how a step along the strip relates to adding or taking away one marker.
The count behind the checkerboard example
Twenty-five fills a square board of five rows with five places in each. Eli can count each row, mark the rows already checked and verify the final total by regrouping. Move the same tokens into two groups of ten and one of five, then point to each digit of 25. An empty cell changes the number of tokens on the grid without changing its twenty-five spaces.
What does the 25 label tell us after Eli takes one marker off the board? Listen for five groups of five or two tens and five ones. With the grid markers in view, decide together whether 25 still fits.
Where the TWENTY-FIVE sheet puts each clue
- Find 25 and TWENTY-FIVE. The top panel separates 25 from its name. Say twenty-five, then point to the outlined 25.
- Choose a line for 25. Each line has 5 dotted models of 25. Use just part of a row to look for the changing stroke from the 2 to the separate top bar of 5.
- Trace TWENTY-FIVE. Its two ruled lines show TWENTY-FIVE in dotted capitals. Save the lower TWENTY-FIVE line for another day.
- Locate 25. Position 5 on the strip shows 25. Point at 21 and 30 and decide whether 25 sits near an end.
Classroom practice that gives 25 a purpose
In a small group, give a partner a 5 by 5 frame and a two-tens-plus-five model to match. Read 25 together first. Then divide the checkerboard jobs.
Assign one partner to move the grid markers and another to read 25. A third child can ask, “What does the 25 label tell us after Eli takes one marker off the board?” Rotate after one checkerboard explanation. Leave 25 in view for the partner who checks it.
Make a second checkerboard display by rearranging the grid markers. While one learner writes 25, another can explain five groups of five or two tens and five ones. Ask the group to find 25 on the 21–30 strip.
The written name on the 25 page
Say TWENTY-FIVE while showing 25. In this reading turn, read TWENTY-FIVE across the hyphen and save the last E. Track TWENTY-FIVE from its first letter onward. After one TWENTY-FIVE trace, read 25 aloud again.
Use two voices in the checkerboard activity. The adult reads TWENTY-FIVE once, and the child looks for 25 in print. Switch the jobs and let the child name the amount while the adult traces one TWENTY-FIVE model with a finger.
Bring the 25 idea to the kitchen table
Arrange twenty-five paper squares into a five-by-five array on the table. Count five at a time or touch each square. Write a 24 card after removing one piece, then return the missing square.
- Start with the checkerboard supplies. Say 25 together before pointing at its outline.
- Ask how the grid markers show five groups of five or two tens and five ones. Let the child move those grid markers while explaining.
- After the checkerboard activity, pick a dotted 25 model and have an adult read TWENTY-FIVE.
- Note which part of 25 needed a cue. Plan the next checkerboard visit around that movement.
Watch for these checkerboard mix-ups
| What happened with 25 | Cue | Check for TWENTY-FIVE |
|---|---|---|
| Mistaking the length of one side for the total number of squares. | Return to five groups of five or two tens and five ones. | Show the grid markers and check the first label. |
| The pencil leaves a dotted 25. | Show where the printed 25 changes direction. | Follow one dotted 25 slowly and compare that turn. |
| The TWENTY-FIVE label gets a quick guess. | Point across TWENTY-FIVE. | Revisit a missed letter from TWENTY-FIVE. |
| The reader misnames the 25 cell. | Look for 26 to the right of 25. | Hide 25 and read a neighbor. |
Choose one cue for the checkerboard moment. If the child rushes 25, check the count with the grid markers first. Return to a short 25 attempt once the amount is clear.
Number 25 Tracing with a single movement cue
Before handing over a pencil, ask your reader to show 25 with a finger on the large model. The movement focus is to look for the changing stroke from the 2 to the separate top bar of 5. Put a clean slip beneath the first line of dots for 25 if the rows below distract.
TWENTY-FIVE runs across much of its word row, with a short connector between the parts. Ask the learner to read the first part, notice the hyphen and reach the E at the end. For a return lesson, compare the 5 within 25 with a single 5 and say why the spoken whole name is longer.
Small signs of progress with 25
Change the board without changing the number of spaces
Take one marker from the middle of the checkerboard. Ask Eli to name the count of squares first and the count of markers second. Compare 24 and 25 using the neighboring cells on the strip, then replace the piece. If a child is ready for a further check, move all twenty-five pieces into a row of twenty and a row of five. Show the two groups of ten separately to explain the leading digit. Read the word on the page before tracing, and use the returning marker as a reminder of what one more means.
Keep the TWENTY-FIVE practice brief
The TWENTY-FIVE page suits kindergarten and early primary learners around 4–7 with some pencil control. During checkerboard play, a younger child can point at 25 or move the grid markers. Let the child choose when to try writing 25.
Give each visit to 25 a purpose. Try the shape of 25 today and explain the checkerboard count another day. Ask which TWENTY-FIVE task to revisit.
Ask what changed in the latest 25. Did it help to look for the changing stroke from the 2 to the separate top bar of 5? Save one TWENTY-FIVE line for later. End with the child's description of 25.
Follow-up games with the TWENTY-FIVE label
- Make a checkerboard sign. Ask the learner to check a completed 25 grid, remove one marker and locate 24 on the strip. Let a partner explain why 25 fits before tracing it.
- Rearrange the grid markers. Count 25, move the grid markers and predict the recount. Add one to 25 for a different result.
- Point to 25 in silence. Indicate 25 and a neighbor on the 21–30 strip. A partner reads 25 and chooses the TWENTY-FIVE card.
- Record the checkerboard report. A child can explain five groups of five or two tens and five ones in a pretend message. Give the report a 25 label.
- Write 25 on another surface. Set TWENTY-FIVE next to a board or dark paper. Compare your two 25 attempts with the outline.
Practice to pair with the checkerboard lesson
Compare the earlier 1–10 tracing set with your 25 lesson. Try a mixed 1–10 numeral sheet after checkerboard play, or pair 25 with the even-number dice game.
Family play with grid markers can grow from NAEYC family play ideas. For a checkerboard variation, browse PBS KIDS for Parents and adapt an activity around 25.
Print a full 25 handout
Begin at the download area for 25. The free file gives you the source worksheet, and the clean TWENTY-FIVE member file appears through the eligible membership option after sign-in.
Select US Letter portrait for the 25 PDF. Check the border around TWENTY-FIVE in print preview. Give the 25 dots a standard-quality test.
Print the clean TWENTY-FIVE file without watermarks or ads. The $8 collection includes 25 and the other 99 sheets.
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