Count fluently back from any number

The CanDoMaths ArithmeKit provides a series of activities designed to enhance children's ability to count backwards fluently from any given number, including through significant numerical milestones such as 100. These exercises involve filling in missing numbers in sequences, finding matching pairs that highlight the counting back pattern, and creating their own sequences to demonstrate mastery of the concept. For example, students might be presented with sequences like "34, 33, 96" and asked to identify the pattern or complete sequences with missing numbers such as "56, 55, 54, __, __". These tasks help students notice the relationship between numbers and understand the systematic nature of counting back, even when crossing tens or hundreds boundaries.

Further exercises challenge students to use addition facts, particularly focusing on the number 6, and to place numbers in the correct order on a number line. In one task, students are encouraged to convince a character named Coco that when counting backwards in ones, the tens digit changes after every number ending in zero, correcting the misconception that the tens digit remains the same. Another character, Colin, needs convincing that after every number ending in nine, the tens digit changes. These activities not only reinforce numerical fluency but also encourage logical reasoning and the use of practical resources to understand numerical patterns. Through engaging tasks, students develop a deeper grasp of number sequences and the principles of counting back across the hundred mark.