Thigh, clap, snap, snap
Pupils sit in a circle and slowly slap tops of thighs, clap hands and then snap fingers – first with one hand then with the other. Continue this to develop a steady rhythm.
· When the rhythm is steady, play ‘Follow my number on’ where you start with a number other than one or zero, for the counting sequence to 20 or until you say ‘stop’.
thigh clap snap snap, thigh clap snap snap …
five ten fifteen twenty …
· Play ‘Count down’ where you start with a suitable number and count down to zero or other chosen number, for instance ‘Count down from 40 in 5s’.
Encourage pupils to take turns giving the starting number. Count in 5s but from 3 for example: 3, 8, 13, 18 … talk about the pattern.
At the end of one counting sequence and the start of the next there will be a pause but keep the actions and rhythms going continuously.
· Allow pupils to have ‘solos’ where they say their own chosen counting sequence – the rest of the class still doing the actions. This allows pupils of differing abilities to demonstrate their counting range.
Counting stick
A counting stick is simply a stick marked off in ten equal divisions. An unnumbered metre stick marked off in decimetres is ideal. One can be made by fastening coloured tape around a length of broom handle. About one metre is a suitable length for the stick although this is not critical.
Pupils count on and back in twos, fives and tens.
Point to one end of the stick and name it zero. Say the other end is 50. Tell pupils they are going to count along the stick in fives.
· Starting from zero, move a finger along the stick, a division at a time, and ask which number would go there. Pupils must match the finger position and not race ahead with the counting
· When they are confident at counting on in fives, start at 50 and move a finger back along the stick, a division at a time, counting backwards to zero.
· Repeat, counting on in fives from zero, but this time stop partway through the count sequence and move your finger back a division before continuing. Call this ‘hiccup counting’.
Five ten fifteen (move finger back) ten, fifteen, twenty, …
· Repeat hiccup counting for counting back.
· Point to random positions on the stick and ask pupils for the appropriate number.
Repeat these activities for counting in other steps.
Number Grids
Give different size number grids and fill in the missing numbers. Count in 5s and colour in that square. Can you predict the pattern? What patterns do you notice on the grids?
Whisper … SHOUT!
Count together as a class in 5s from zero. Whisper the numbers ending in 5 and shout the numbers ending in 0:
five TEN fifteen TWENTY twenty-five THIRTY…
What pattern do you notice?
Pupils sit in a circle and slowly slap tops of thighs, clap hands and then snap fingers – first with one hand then with the other. Continue this to develop a steady rhythm.
· When the rhythm is steady, play ‘Follow my number on’ where you start with a number other than one or zero, for the counting sequence to 20 or until you say ‘stop’.
thigh clap snap snap, thigh clap snap snap …
five ten fifteen twenty …
· Play ‘Count down’ where you start with a suitable number and count down to zero or other chosen number, for instance ‘Count down from 40 in 5s’.
Encourage pupils to take turns giving the starting number. Count in 5s but from 3 for example: 3, 8, 13, 18 … talk about the pattern.
At the end of one counting sequence and the start of the next there will be a pause but keep the actions and rhythms going continuously.
· Allow pupils to have ‘solos’ where they say their own chosen counting sequence – the rest of the class still doing the actions. This allows pupils of differing abilities to demonstrate their counting range.
Counting stick
A counting stick is simply a stick marked off in ten equal divisions. An unnumbered metre stick marked off in decimetres is ideal. One can be made by fastening coloured tape around a length of broom handle. About one metre is a suitable length for the stick although this is not critical.
Pupils count on and back in twos, fives and tens.
Point to one end of the stick and name it zero. Say the other end is 50. Tell pupils they are going to count along the stick in fives.
· Starting from zero, move a finger along the stick, a division at a time, and ask which number would go there. Pupils must match the finger position and not race ahead with the counting
· When they are confident at counting on in fives, start at 50 and move a finger back along the stick, a division at a time, counting backwards to zero.
· Repeat, counting on in fives from zero, but this time stop partway through the count sequence and move your finger back a division before continuing. Call this ‘hiccup counting’.
Five ten fifteen (move finger back) ten, fifteen, twenty, …
· Repeat hiccup counting for counting back.
· Point to random positions on the stick and ask pupils for the appropriate number.
Repeat these activities for counting in other steps.
Number Grids
Give different size number grids and fill in the missing numbers. Count in 5s and colour in that square. Can you predict the pattern? What patterns do you notice on the grids?
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | |
| 6 | 8 | |||
| 11 | 12 | |||
| 19 | ||||
| 22 | 23 |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 8 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 19 | 22 | 23 | |||
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 8 | 11 | 12 | ||||
| 19 | ||||||
| 22 | 23 | |||||
Whisper … SHOUT!
Count together as a class in 5s from zero. Whisper the numbers ending in 5 and shout the numbers ending in 0:
five TEN fifteen TWENTY twenty-five THIRTY…
What pattern do you notice?
