Place value within 10 - Comparing activity - Starter

In a Year 1 mathematics lesson focusing on place value within 10, students engage in a comparing activity designed to develop their understanding of number relationships and arithmetic operations. The lesson starter, "Fluent in Four - Revision," requires children to use counters as a practical resource to assist with their calculations. The activity presents a set of problems that challenge the students to perform basic subtraction, such as "16 – 6", and to explore the concept of doubling numbers with "Double four – double three".

Following these calculations, the lesson progresses to a comparison task where students are asked to identify the odd one out among a set of numbers. They must use their critical thinking skills to determine why one number does not fit with the others based on various criteria. Additionally, the activity includes a visual discrimination task where children compare buttons, discerning which one doesn't belong in the group and explaining their reasoning. This could be based on different attributes, such as shape, with triangles being different from other geometric shapes, or the number of holes in the buttons, where one has a distinct number compared to the others. These exercises help to reinforce the children's understanding of numerical value and differences, as well as their ability to articulate mathematical reasoning.