Place value within 10 - Counting to 10 - Planning

In the first week of Year 1 Autumn term maths planning, the focus is on the foundational concept of place value within the number range of 0 to 10. This particular lesson is centred around counting objects up to the number 10. The children are introduced to the key vocabulary such as 'count', 'total', and 'zero', and are provided with practical resources like counters and cubes to facilitate hands-on learning. The lesson encourages children to count objects one by one, emphasising that the last number they say represents the total number of objects. They are also taught the significance of zero, both as a number that represents 'nothing' and as a placeholder in our base-10 number system.

During the lesson, children engage in partner work to discuss their previous experiences with counting and explore the everyday importance of this skill. They then participate in practical activities, where they count items ranging from zero to ten, learning to recognise zero as an empty set. The lesson includes modelling of counting techniques and matching or writing the correct numbers, which the children then practice independently with differentiated worksheets. To conclude, the children reflect on what they've learned and the strategies that aided their understanding. The lesson plan is designed to cater to different levels of proficiency, from those 'working towards' to those achieving 'greater depth', with activities adjusted to challenge each child appropriately.