Math lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 minutes
Adding and taking away zero
Addition and subtraction
CCSS K.OA.A.5England: Reception NumberEngland: Y1 Addition and subtraction
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Adding and taking away zero.
- 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: Add two groups of pictures (to 5); Zero means none
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Base-ten blocks, Number lines, Hundred square, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Add two groups of pictures (to 5); Zero means none). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- 1 star and 3 more. How many altogether? ★ + ★ ★ ★ → 4Prompt: Count the first group, then keep counting the second group.
- Kofi has 2 marbles in one hand and 2 marbles in the other. How many marbles is that? → 4Prompt: Show each amount on your fingers.
- There were 4 beads in a bowl. Felix took all 4 of them out. How many beads are in the bowl now? → 0Prompt: All of them were taken out.
Hook · 6 min
- Give a real shopping total or a score difference and ask for a quick estimate first.
- Share the objective: Adding and taking away zero. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: 1 + 0 = ?
- Step 1: 1 + 0 = 1
- Step 2: 1
- Answer: 1
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- 9 − 0 = ? → 9Prompt: Taking away 0 means taking nothing away.
- 0 + 1 = ? → 1Prompt: Zero changes nothing.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Omar wrote 2 + 0 = 0. True or false? (True / False) → FalsePrompt: If you have 2 and get none more, how many do you have?
- 7 − 0 = ? → 7Prompt: Taking away 0 means taking nothing away.
Watch out for
- Subtracting the smaller digit from the bigger one in every column (52 − 17 = 45).
- Forgetting to add the regrouped (carried) ten.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Add two groups of pictures (to 5).
- Use concrete materials: base-ten blocks.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- 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