Step 1: (30 minutes)
If you are new to Every Day Counts, read the front matter (p. 5-9) in the Every Day Counts teacher’s guide and August/September (p. 16-17). This will help you get to know the EDC elements and how to set up for the start of school.

If you possess an older HMH EDC Kit in a yellow box, you may already have many of the items mentioned below. The suggested times are for teams creating new materials or replacements to display at the start of the year.

Step 2: (5 – ? minutes)

Examine your room set-up to find the best place to display Every Day Counts so that all students can see all the elements. A bulletin board is handy for pinning up the materials, but if such a board is not present or not in a good location for viewing, many teachers have been able to place the calendar and other elements on a wall, whiteboard, or chalkboard using tape or magnets. Some have even placed a science display board or sheet of foam core in the chalk tray to tape, or pin elements to using T pins. It is nice if you can gather the children up close to view the Calendar and other elements.

The Counting Tape needs to be placed where it can be extended the greatest possible distance. It needn’t be in the same part of the room as the other elements on the board as long as everyone can see it.

Step 3: (25 min. prep) Begin the 1st day of school or catch up to present Day of School

See T Guide, p. 23-24 and and click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards

Option 1: Counting Tape – Create your own.

1. Use 15-20 feet of 3”-inch wide adding machine tape or sentence strips to create a blank tape to display up high somewhere in the room where everyone can see it easily. It will be extended beyond 20 feet later in the year. Begin with the number 1 written on the Tape for the first Day of School. You will add a number each school day. (Some teachers prefer to record 1 to 40 before displaying the Tape and use an arrow on a sticky-note to point to the number of the Day of School.)

2. For the red hearts, make copies of TR 6: Multiple Markers from back of the T. Guide and color the hearts red.

Option 2: Counting Tape – Use Gr. 4 Counting Tape and Multiple Markers Download available for purchase at payhip.com/everydaycounts

1. Use the download to print colored Multiple Markers and a numbered Counting Tape to assemble and display.

2. Draw an arrow on a sticky-note. Move the sticky-note ahead one number each day to point to the number of the new Day of School. (Not in photo.)

Note: For 2026-27 check availability of a pre-printed pack of a year’s supply of colored Multiple Markers with Counting Tape (1 to 180) for purchase at payhip.com/everydaycounts.

Step 4: (10 minutes prep)

See T. Guide, p. 21-22 and click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards at edconline.net

Note: If your school year starts in August, wait to introduce the Depositor on September 1. If you begin school in September have the Depositor ready to introduce within the first week of school.

Option 1: Create your own

1. Use 3 sheets of white, 3 sheets of yellow, and 1 sheet of green 8 ½” x 11” copy paper or cardstock to create the pockets. Laminate with 1.5 mil laminate if available. Fold each paper the long way. Then fold up bottom 2 inches and staple on each side. Tape pockets together on back side to create a place value pocket chart. (See photo.)

2. Have sticky-notes handy to record the digit above each place value pocket for the number of bills collected of that denomination.

3. Make 18 copies of Play Money Bills (TR 2) from back of T Guide on light green copy paper. Or print 18 copies on each of 6 different colors to create denominations of different colors. (This will be enough for 6 grade 3-5 classrooms to share) Group them by denomination in library pockets or snack ziplocks, displaying a supply of one denomination of bills below each pocket of the Depositor for easy access. (See photo).

4. Make 10 copies of Inch Squared Paper (TR 3) from back of T. Guide. Place one copy near the Depositor to record the results of adding each day’s deposit for the first week of school.

Option 2: Use Gr. 3-5 Depositor and Play Money Bills download available for purchase at payhip.com/everydaycounts

1. Use downloaded templates to print 7 Depositor Pockets for ones to millions using 3 sheets of white for the ones period, 3 sheets of yellow for the thousands period, and one sheet of green for one million. Laminate with thin 1.5 mil laminate, if available. Use the directions printed on each copy to fold and staple each pocket. Tape pockets across the back to create a place value pocket chart. (See photo.)

2. Have sticky-notes handy to record the digit above each place value pocket for the number of bills collected of that denomination.

3. Use downloaded b/w template for each denomination of bills to print 18 copies of each denomination on a different color of copy paper listed at the bottom of each template or use the color templates to print bills in color, if color printing is an option. For easy access, group them by denomination into 7 library pockets or snack Ziplocs, displaying a supply of bills below each pocket of the Depositor. (See photo).

4. Make 10 copies of Inch Squared Paper (TR 3) from back of T. Guide. Place one copy near the Depositor to record the results of adding each day’s deposit for the first week of school.

Step 5: (25 minutes prep) If you begin school in August, use the August pieces. August and September reveal the same basic pattern using the same shapes, but in different colors.

See T. Guide, p. 18-20 and click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards at edconline.net

1. Prepare any printed large cardstock wall calendar by creating slits at the top of each space using an Exacto knife or box cutter and place a paper clip in each slit (See photo) Some teachers prefer to display a l nylon classroom calendar with clear pockets. Models from Eamay and Arzog accommodate the size of EDC calendar pieces and are among the least expensive brands.

2. Pull out the three sheets of Calendar pieces for your first month of school, available both in print and as a download at payhip.com/everydaycounts. Display the pattern pieces on the Calendar from the 1st up to the present day of the month. After the present date, place the remaining pieces face down under each paper clip (so they can be turned over one at a time on each new day of the month).

Step 6: (10 min. prep)

See T. Guide, p. 26-27, and click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards at edconline.net

Begin early in the school year to show different coin combinations equal in cents to the number of Day of School.

1. Use three small clear pockets or snack ziplocks attached one above the other to the bulletin board or to a cardstock background. (See photo.)

2. Place a copy of the 10- Penny Grid (TR 9) from the back of the T. Guide near the Coin Counter. Laminate (if using brown transparency pen) or place in a sheet protector (if using a brown dry erase pen).

3. Make 4 extra copies of the 10-Penny Grid on 4 different pastel colors. Cut one copy into 10 tenths, one into 5 fifths, one into 4 fourths, and one into 2 halves for use on Day 10, 20, 25, 50, and their multiples.

4. Place a coin supply of 15 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, or play coins in re-sealable bag nearby.

Step 7: (10 min. prep)

See T. Guide, p. 28-29, and click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards at edconline.net

1. Copy, cut, and tape together Grid Paper (TR 3 or 19) to create a graph 2 spaces wide by 40 spaces long for recording the results of this draw and replace experiment. (See photo.)

2. Find the 1 red square Calendar Piece and 1 blue rectangle Calendar Piece (without numbers)  from the September Calendar Pieces. A brown paper lunch sack or any bag or box can be used to hold the pieces.

3. Place a red and a blue crayon near the graph.

You are done! This is everything you will need to begin sharing the September elements with your students. September requires the greatest preparation time. Next month you will continue to use these materials and add in a couple of new items. By November all the elements will be introduced reducing preparation time for the remaining months.

To see Question Starter Cards click on Gr. 4 – EDC Photos & Question Cards at edconline.net

The note cards you see accompanying each photo with starter questions can be printed as PDF files, cut apart, and mounted on 5×7 note cards for your easy reference during Every Day Counts discussions. During the month, please add to your cards questions of your own design or questions from your reading that you want to remember to try out. Some questions should aim at simply having students examine the data and describe what they see. Others questions should require students to engage in higher level thinking, requiring them to reason, analyze, make predictions, and form generalizations about concepts being explored each month.

Every Day Counts® is a registered trademark of Gillespie Kanter Group, LLC

To purchase teacher guides, calendar pieces, and other display items, visit: payhip.com/everydaycounts