Math lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 60 minutes
Count in twos
Number sense
CCSS 1.OA.C.5England: Y1 Number and place value
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Count in twos.
- 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 100 by ones and tens
Leads to: Count in threes; Odd or even? Check by making pairs; Count groups of the same coin
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Count to 100 by ones and tens). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Count by tens. What is missing? 20, __, 40, 50, 60 → 30Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.
- Count by tens. What is missing? 30, 40, 50, __, 70 → 60Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.
- Count by tens. What is missing? 20, 30, __, 50, 60 → 40Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.
Hook · 6 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Count in twos. 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: Count in twos. What is missing? 10, 12, 14, __, 18
- Step 1: 14 + 2 = 16
- Step 2: 16
- Answer: 16
- 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.
- Count in twos. What is missing? 28, 30, __, 34, 36 → 32Prompt: Each number is 2 more than the one before.
- There are 6 pairs of socks. Count in twos: how many socks is that? → 12Prompt: Each one has 2 socks.
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.
- Count in twos starting at 7: 7, 9, 11, __, 15 → 13Prompt: Counting in twos from an odd number lands on odd numbers.
- Count in twos. What is missing? 16, 18, __, 22, 24 → 20Prompt: Each number is 2 more than the one before.
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 100 by ones and tens.
- 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: Count in threes; Odd or even? Check by making pairs; Count groups of the same coin.
- 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/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder