Place value within 10 - Introducing symbols - Planning

In Year 1, during the third week of Autumn on place value, lesson 14 introduces young learners to comparison symbols for numbers within 10. The lesson utilises a variety of resources, including differentiated worksheets and concrete materials like base 10 blocks or counters, to help children visualise and understand the concepts. The key vocabulary focuses on terms such as 'compare', 'objects', 'equal', 'more', 'less', 'most', 'least', 'fewer', 'equal to', 'greater than', and 'less than'. These terms are essential for the children to grasp the notion of comparing quantities and to articulate their understanding effectively. The lesson starts with a warm-up activity where children identify a number one less than a given numeral, word, or image, and may use a number track to assist them.

The main activities of the lesson involve engaging with the inequality symbols: less than (<), greater than (>), and equal to (=). Children work in pairs to discuss and compare groups of objects, using full sentences to explain their reasoning. They are guided through a series of presentation activities that help them understand what the symbols mean, how to use them to compare groups and numbers, and how to complete statements correctly using the symbols. For instance, they practice stating and verifying if a number is less than 10. The lesson aims to address common misconceptions by using different representations of numbers to ensure a clear understanding that various images can all represent the same number. In the plenary, children reflect on what they have learned, the skills they have used, and any challenges they faced. The lesson differentiation caters to various levels of understanding, from working towards expected standards to achieving greater depth by comparing more complex images, including those of money.