Place Value within 50 - Count in 2s - Planning

The Year 1 Spring curriculum includes a week dedicated to Place Value within 50, with a particular focus on counting in 2s. The National Curriculum objectives for this week are comprehensive, encompassing counting forwards and backwards from various starting points, reading and writing numbers up to 50, identifying one more or one less than a given number, and understanding the representation of numbers with objects and pictorial aids. Additionally, children are expected to count in multiples of two, five, and ten. Key vocabulary such as 'group', 'tens', 'ones', 'represent', and terms for comparison like 'greater than', 'less than', and 'equal to' are introduced. Practical resources and teaching slides are provided to facilitate learning, and children are encouraged to complete 'fluent in four' questions to reinforce their understanding.

The lesson plan includes a series of interactive activities designed to help children grasp the concept of counting in multiples of two. The first activity has children count items in pairs, highlighting the efficiency of counting in 2s. They are then asked to consider why this skill is useful, discussing how many everyday items come in pairs. In the second activity, children use their fingers to count in 2s, working with a partner to reinforce the concept. The third activity involves a fun whisper-and-shout game with multiples of 2, aiding memorisation. Finally, they observe a 50 square grid to discern patterns in numbers when counting in 2s, such as which numbers appear and which do not. The lesson concludes with a reflective 'Give me five' session, where students consider what they've learned, the skills they've used and found challenging, and what helped them during the lesson, ensuring they remember the key points moving forward.