Place value - Count forwards and backwards within 50 - Presentation

In a series of engaging activities, students are encouraged to master counting forwards and backwards within the range of 50. The lesson includes a variety of tasks that help solidify their understanding of place value and number sequences. For instance, they begin by discussing and giving examples of counting both forwards and backwards up to 50. Then, they move on to practical exercises where they count and write numbers to 50, using visual aids such as pears to help them grasp the concept of grouping in tens and identifying how many are left over. This approach not only reinforces their counting skills but also introduces them to the foundational elements of place value.

Further activities challenge students to count larger groups of objects, like cakes, by utilising counting strategies that simplify the process. They are taught to use a number track to count back from various starting points, which aids in developing their backward counting proficiency. Students are also presented with reasoning tasks, where they must agree or disagree with a given statement and justify their reasoning, such as whether a character has counted the correct number of cakes. These exercises encourage critical thinking and help students identify and correct mistakes in counting. Additionally, independent work allows students to practice counting with ten frames, further reinforcing the concept of tens and ones. Throughout the lesson, practical equipment and visual representations support the learning process, making the abstract concept of numbers more tangible and easier to understand.