Addition and subtraction within 10 - Count back - Starter

In the first lesson of Week 9 for Year 1 during the Autumn Term, children are introduced to the concept of counting backwards within the number range of ten. The session begins with a 'Fluent in Four' revision exercise, which is designed to consolidate their previous learning. Each child is encouraged to bring along five interesting objects to use as visual aids and counters during the lesson. This hands-on approach helps to engage the young learners and make abstract concepts more tangible.

The activities for the day revolve around practical application and visualisation techniques. Children are asked to perform simple addition calculations with their objects, such as '3 + 0 + one' and 'five + 0', to reinforce their understanding of addition and the number five. They also use a 5-frame to count out four objects, rearranging them to observe different patterns and groupings within the number four. The lesson progresses to counting backwards from eight and seven, with the children calculating the number of steps needed to reach six and four, respectively. They are guided to write down their calculations, such as '8 - 2 = 6' and '7 - 3 = 4', reinforcing the subtraction process. The lesson concludes with a discussion about what they notice when rearranging objects in the 5-frame, including identifying smaller groups and understanding that four is one less than five, as demonstrated with an example of '3 and 1'.