Activities to support Forward & backward number word sequences
Where are they now?
Students:
- when asked to count from one, students produce some number words
- may have some knowledge of number words, but not in the correct sequence
Where to next?
Students:
- say the forward number word sequence to ten
- say the backward number word sequence from ten
- match each number word to one, and only one, object when counting
- name the number word before and after a given number, usually starting back at 1
Outcomes
The following activities provide opportunities for students to demonstrate progress towards the following outcomes. A student:
MAe-1WM describes mathematical situations using everyday language, actions, materials and informal recordings
MAe-2WM uses objects, actions, technology and/or trial and error to explore mathematical problems
MAe-3WM uses concrete materials and/or pictorial representations to support conclusions
MAe-4NA counts to 30, and orders, reads and represents numbers in the range 0-20
How?
Teaching Point
When introducing the forward and backward number word sequences, concentrate on number words 1 to 5 before moving to 1 to 10. The backward number word sequence is often less familiar and as such, needs to be a persistent focus as it is fundamental in learning how to count back and subtract.
Counting patterns
Explain that we are counting how many times we make a particular sound or move/touch a particular body part. Lead the students in oral counting to and from ten. Coordinate body actions, such as clapping, clicking or stamping, with each number as it is counted. Alternatively, instruct the students to perform various body actions on alternate numbers, for example touching their shoulders on odd numbers and clapping on even numbers. Vary the activity to using voice patterns such as counting softly on odd numbers and loudly on even numbers.
Counting words with books, songs and rhymes
Using songs and stories are powerful in supporting students developing fluency with the forward and backward number word sequence. When singing and reading, students should be encouraged to act out the events of the text. Discussions should be had within and after reading and singing.
Teaching Point
It is important to choose appropriate songs and books in the emergent range, that means texts that include the entire number sequences in order (without missing numbers).
Handful of teddies
Organise the students into pairs. Have the students take turns to pick up a handful of teddy bears and estimate how many they have picked up.
Have one student then count out the teddies to the other, saying one number word for each teddy counted. The partner can check the count and repeat the process.
Follow this with one of the partners placing his or her teddies in a row. The second student then places a handful of teddies in a line, next to the partner’s row. Encourage the students to compare the two rows of teddies and determine who has the greater number of teddies by directly matching teddies in each line, determining who has more teddies as well as who has less. This activity could be extended by having the students determine how many more teddies are in one line than the other.
Paper cup drop
Place a row of paper cups on the floor or on a table. Encourage the students to count the empty cups. Ask the students to drop one counter into each cup and to count the counters as they are dropped into the cups. Direct the students to empty the counters from the cups and count the group of counters.
You may extend the activity by asking students to match numeral cards or picture cards with the total number of counters.
Paperclip cards
Provide students with cards that have a numeral and matching dot pattern (alternatively, coat hangers can be provided with a numeral card and matching dot pattern). Ask the students to slide the correct number of paperclips (or pegs) onto numeral cards. Then ask students to place the numeral cards or coat hangers in either a backward or forward counting sequence.
Vary this activity by asking the students to form a chain of beads, paper clips, pegs or other items and attach the chain to the corresponding numeral card.
Why?
Students need to be able to use the corresponding numeral for a set of objects.
Fences
Construct sets of fence base boards using a template (BLM - Fence) and popsticks displaying numerals in the range 1 to 10 for each student or pair of students. Have the students match the numerals on the popsticks with the numerals written on the base boards. Extend this activity by constructing base boards displaying blank fences. The students sequence the numbered pop sticks along the fence.
Before, after or between?
As a class, discuss the concepts of before, after or between by discussing questions such as:
- Do you take your shoes off before or after you get into bed?
- Do you eat lunch before, after or between eating breakfast and dinner?
- Do you eat hot chips before or after you add sauce?
- Do you eat breakfast before, after or in between waking up and going to school?
- Do you brush your teeth before or after you eat ice cream?
Teachers should record the discussion on a whiteboard and use an empty number line to support students in seeing the connection to using words such as ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘between’ when discussing numerals (see below).
Ask students to suggest what might happen before, after or between two events and add them onto the number line.
Hang it on the line
Hang a washing line (nylon rope or similar) across the whiteboard or between two chairs. Ask the students to peg numeral cards in the correct sequence onto the washing line. Vary this activity by having students peg the cards in a backwards sequence or by displaying some
of the numeral cards on the line and asking students to replace the missing cards. Students could also be asked to attach matching picture cards, bead strings, pegs, number word cards, etc. to connect the numeral to the amount.
Ask questions such as:
- What is the number before ___?
- What is the number after ___?
- What numbers come between ____ and ____?
Sandwich boards
Attach coloured shoelaces to large numeral cards so they can be hung around the students’ necks. Provide each student with a numeral card. Have the students move around the room to music. Once the music stops, ask the students to arrange themselves into a line in the correct forward or backward number word sequence. Pegs, number words, picture cards, ribbons, etc. could also be attached to the large numeral cards.
Alternatively, distribute all but one (or more) of the numeral cards. Have the students organise themselves into a line to sequence their numeral cards and discover which numeral is missing and discuss how they know. Teachers should use this opportunity to discuss the relative position of the numbers, especially noting the space between the two numbers, on either side of the missing number and the space between numbers where nothing is missing.
The price is right (higher/lower)
For this activity a leader thinks of a secret number. Display a vertical cardboard number line to indicate the range in which the secret number lies. The leader then asks the group to try and guess the “secret” number. The leader responds to the groups’ guesses by stating if the secret number is higher or lower than the suggested number. Attach two pegs to the vertical number line. As the group make their guesses the leader can move the pegs to indicate the range in which the secret number lies.
Variation
- Display a horizontal number line in the range 1 to 10 on an interactive whiteboard. Select a “secret” number in the range. Have the students attempt to guess the “secret” number. If the guess is incorrect, cover the numeral on the number line. Continue the activity until the students are able to identify the number correctly. As the students become more competent, extend the range of numerals
Last number: emergent
Explain to students that they are going to play a counting game where the person who gets to say “zero” is the winner. Students take it in turns to say the backward number word sequence, counting down from 10 to 0. Students can choose to say either 1 or 2 number words in each turn.
This game requires reasoning skills and the ability to break the number word sequence and say the number before a given number. To support students in keeping track of the number words and support the development of reasoning skills, a number line from 0-10 could be used with different coloured markers for each student.
Demonstrate the game with students a number of times and work together as a class to support students in understanding how to play the game and the kind of language they can use to explain their thinking.
Some key questions include:
• What would happen if I had said....instead of ...?
• What would you do if...?
• Why did you choose to say....?
• How do you decide how many number words to say?
• How could we change the game to make it more challenging?
Munching tennis balls
Carefully cut an opening in a number of tennis balls using a sharp knife. Teachers could add eyes to the tennis balls to make them resemble monsters.
Each student is provided with 10 counters. Have the students “eat” one counter for each number word they say in the backward number word sequence, using their munching tennis ball.
Alternatively, have students take turns to roll a dice and remove the corresponding number of counters from their pile using their munching tennis balls to “eat” the counters as they are removed. Students should be encouraged to say the backward number words as they remove the counters and place them inside their tennis balls.
Teaching Point
Demonstrate to students how to pinch the tennis ball so that the slit opens (like a mouth) and how they can place the counters inside. This activity is also useful for developing hand strength and motor control. Concentrating on the number words up to 5 might be useful before moving to 10 to 0.
Numeral flip strip: emergent
A flip strip is a hinged cardboard strip. The hinge, usually a plastic spiral, joins two cardboard strips along the top edge. In this way the top cardboard strip can be lifted to reveal the bottom cardboard strip. The top piece of cardboard is cut into vertical strips. Numerals are written on the bottom piece of cardboard or on another piece of cardboard which can be attached between the two hinged strips. Alternatively, this could be created on an interactive whiteboard or standard whiteboard by writing numerals and screening them.
Conceal a number line between the flaps of the flip strip. Have the students determine the missing numerals, before, after, or between nominated numerals on the flip strip. Lift the strips to verify the answers.
Vary the beginning numeral on the number line so that the students do not memorise the numeral by its position. For example, you may begin with the numeral three instead of one.
Teacher: When I lift this flap tell me the number you can see.
Students: Three!
Teacher: Can you use that information to work out what number is underneath this flap? (In this case, the third number along. The students can see the first number 3, and now needs to work out that 3 is the number before 4 and so therefore, the number after 4 is 5).
Students: Five.
Teacher: Why do you think that? How did you work it out?
Students: Explain their thinking to a thinking partner first before having some students share their thinking to the class.
Teacher: Let’s count on from three to check our thinking.
Students: Three, four, five.
Teacher: Let’s lift the flap and check. Were we right?
More, fewer or the same?
Provide students with a pack of cards displaying dot patterns and a sorting tray (see diagram). Ask a student to draw one card from the pack and place it at the top of the sorting tray indicated by a star. Have the students draw a card from the deck and place it into an appropriate box in the sorting tray. To do this the student will need to determine if the drawn card has the same number of dots, more dots or fewer dots than the one at the top of the tray.
