Multiplication and division - Count in 5s - Starter

In a mathematics lesson aimed at Year 1 students during the Summer Term, Week 2, Day 2, children are encouraged to develop their skills in both multiplication and division by counting in 5s. The lesson begins with a "Fluent in Four" revision exercise, which involves simple subtraction problems to warm up their arithmetic abilities. The first question presents "18 – 12 =", and the second requires students to subtract 17 from 20, written in word form as "Twenty – 17 =". These exercises are designed to reinforce mental arithmetic and ensure that the students are comfortable with basic subtraction before moving on to the main activities.

The lesson continues with practical applications of counting in multiples of 5, where students are asked to calculate totals in different scenarios. For instance, they might be asked to count the total number of wheels when given a set of vehicles, or to determine the total number of balloons at a party. The exercise is made more interesting by dividing the balloons into colours, such as black and green, and asking the students to provide the count for each. Additionally, a comparative question like "Who is the shortest?" encourages observational and comparative skills. The worksheet provides the answers to the subtraction questions as 6 and 3, respectively, and further reveals that there are 30 wheels in total, 5 black balloons, and 2 green balloons, summing up to a total of 3 balloons altogether.