Place value within 10 - Counting forwards - Starter

In the initial stages of the Autumn Term for Year 1, a lesson focusing on place value within 10 is designed to enhance the counting skills of young learners. On Day 1 of Week 2, the 'Fluent in Four' revision activity is a starter that encourages children to engage with number shapes—a tactile and visual aid that supports their understanding of numbers and their relationships. Through interactive exercises, students are prompted to use their number shapes to solve simple arithmetic problems such as adding halves and doubles, for example, calculating half of 8 and then doubling 1, and straightforward addition like 5 plus 2.

The lesson continues with a fun and engaging task where children are presented with a picture of ladybirds and asked to identify which one lacks a partner. This exercise not only reinforces counting skills but also introduces the concept of odd and even numbers in a visual and relatable way. Students are then instructed to draw the solitary ladybird and write down the corresponding number. The activity progresses with a sorting task, where children use their number shapes to find matching numbers and arrange them in ascending order, from the smallest to the biggest. This hands-on approach helps solidify their understanding of numerical order and the concept of place value within the number range of 1 to 10.