Place Value within 50 - Counting to 50 by making 10s - Starter

The 'Place Value within 50' lesson is an engaging and interactive session for Year 1 students, focusing on counting to 50 by making tens. The lesson begins with a 'Fluent in Four' revision activity, where students are tasked with solving simple arithmetic problems such as finding half of 20 and adding 9, or adding single-digit numbers like 6 and 8. This warm-up serves to sharpen their mental maths skills and prepare them for the day's learning.

As part of the day's exercises, students are encouraged to compare number sentences using the less than, greater than, or equal to symbols (<, >, =). For example, they might compare the results of 18 minus 4 with 11 plus 3 to determine which is larger. Further hands-on learning is introduced through practical tasks, such as building two towers with cubes, one blue and one yellow, and then determining which tower would be taller. This visual and tactile approach helps students understand mathematical concepts in a concrete way. Additionally, they apply their subtraction and addition skills to solve problems like determining how many skittles a ball can knock down, given different number sentences. This lesson not only reinforces their understanding of basic arithmetic but also encourages critical thinking and reasoning.