Counting and numbers to 20 · Year 1
In Year 1 you learn: reading and writing numbers to 20; one more and one less; counting to 100 in ones and tens.
Counting means saying one number for each thing, in order, without missing any out or counting any twice. The last number you say tells you how many there are altogether. Knowing the numbers to 20, and what comes just before and after each one, is the start of all maths.
Key facts
- Touch or point to each thing once as you count it.
- The last number you say is how many there are.
- One more is the next number when you count; one less is the number just before.
- Rows of 5 and ten frames make counting quicker: a full ten frame is 10.
- Teen numbers are 10 and some more: 14 is 10 and 4.
- Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s skips along: 10, 20, 30, 40 …
Worked examples
Example 1
How many stars are there?
Answer: 8
Example 2
A full ten frame and 6 more dots. How many dots is that?
Answer: 16
Example 3
Count in 10s: 10, 20, 30, … What comes after 70?
Answer: 80