Year 1

We can work out the number that is one more or one less than numbers up to 20.
We can work out the number that is 10 more than a number between 1 and 9.

Year 1 Unit 4

What we are learning:

• The concept of one more or less has to be very secure before looking at two more, two less etc. This needs to be supported with objects and practice and repetition – just because your child gets it right a few times does not mean it is secure!
• One more is the same as saying what the next number would be if you were counting in order and one less is the same as saying the number you would say before this number if you were counting in order – so you can see why counting orally is so important.
• Children can find saying ‘one less’ more difficult than ‘one more’. This is sometimes because children have less practice at this and have had less practice at counting back.
• Use objects until your child is secure before working without them
• Allow your child to count from 1 every time if they need to.
• Prompt for faster methods, ‘How could we count without starting from 1?’ to begin with your child might want to count silently in their head and then tell you the next number.

ACTIVITY 1: ONE LESS USING COUNTERS

ACTIVITY 2: ONE MORE ONE LESS IN OUR HEADS

ACTIVITY 3: 10 MORE, USING STRAWS

Activities you can do at home:

Ask – Which number is one more than / less than…?

Use objects, ‘There are 4 forks on the table and I am putting one more on.
How many are there now? Then ask, how many will there be? If I take one away how many will there be?
Try the same questions, but without the objects to count (this is much more difficult).

Good questions to ask:

How can we find a faster way of counting?
Where can we start counting from?
Can you count in your head?
What is one more/less than?
What is 10 more/less than?

If your child:

Is not sure what the next or previous number is.
Have a look at a number line and check. This is not ‘cheating’ – it is using
prompts when they are needed, so encourage it with your child and find the
answer together. It is by practising like this that your child will ‘learn’ the
answers.