Math lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes
Positions in a line: first to tenth
Number sense
CCSS K.CC.B.4England: Y1 Number and place value
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Positions in a line: first to tenth.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Count to 20
Leads to: Days of the week
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Count to 20). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Fill in the missing number: 11, 12, __, 14, 15 → 13Prompt: The numbers go up by 1 each time. What comes after the number before the gap?
- Write the number "fifteen" using digits. → 15Prompt: Say the number out loud and count up to it.
- Fill in the missing number: 14, __, 16, 17, 18 → 15Prompt: The numbers go up by 1 each time. What comes after the number before the gap?
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Positions in a line: first to tenth. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Animals line up. From the front: duck, bear, cat, tiger, rabbit, monkey. Which animal is third?
- Step 1: Counting from the front, number 3 is the cat.
- Answer: cat
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Animals line up. From the front: frog, cat, bear, monkey, duck, lion, rabbit. Which animal is fourth? (bear / monkey / rabbit / duck) → monkeyPrompt: The first animal is at the front of the line.
- From the front of the line: lion, rabbit, dog, frog, monkey, duck, cat. Where is the duck? (fifth / seventh / sixth / eighth) → sixthPrompt: Find the duck in the list.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Diego is third in the lunch queue. How many children are in front of Diego? → 2Prompt: Being third means there are some children before Diego.
- From the front of the line: lion, duck, frog, bear, dog, cat, rabbit, tiger, monkey. Where is the duck? (first / second / third / fourth) → secondPrompt: Find the duck in the list.
Watch out for
- Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
- Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Count to 20.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Days of the week.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder