The Big Count to 120

When we reach 100, the counting pattern starts all over again! Think of it like a loop. After 99, we get to 100. To keep going, we just say 'one hundred' and then the smaller number. For example, after 100 comes 101 (one hundred one), then 102 (one hundred two). The sequence follows the same $0$ to $9$ pattern you learned when you were counting to 10. Even though the numbers look bigger, the 'ones' place still changes the same way!

Writing numbers up to 120 uses three spots, or place values. The first spot is the hundreds, the second is the tens, and the third is the ones. To write 'one hundred five,' we put a $1$ in the hundreds place, a $0$ in the tens place (because there are no extra tens), and a $5$ in the ones place: $105$. It is important to keep that $0$ in the middle as a placeholder so we don't accidentally write $15$!

A 120-chart is a map of numbers. If you look at the columns (the lines going up and down), you will see a secret: every number in that column ends in the same digit! If you move down one row, you are adding exactly $10$. For example, if you start at $104$ and move down one box, you land on $114$. This pattern makes it easy to find '10 more' or '10 less' without counting every single box.