This week we will be practising saying 1 less than a given number and learning about our number of the week.

1 Less

Children should see the link that one less than a number is the next number they say when they are counting backwards. The children often find this trickier than finding 1 more.

There are lots of songs that count back one each time highlighting the one less pattern that you can sing at home.

Five little speckled frogs

Five currant buns

Five Little Ducks

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

10 Green bottles

Ten in the Bed

We will be singing some of these in our afternoon Zoom sessions. 

Activity Ideas

Here are some ideas for you to practise learning about 1 less at home. You could do a different one each day. You do not need to do all of them,

Remember to upload pictures of what you do to Tapestry for your teachers to see.

Counting orange segments

Peel an orange and count the segments. If we eat one orange segment, will we have more or less left?

Say the number that will be one less. Then, eat one segment and check.

Keep counting and eating one segment, until you have zero.

Number line

1) Chalk number line

Draw a 0-20 number line on the floor outside using chalks.

Stand on 0. Ask a grown-up to say a number and then jump to that number.

Can you work out what is one less? Move to that number and say it out loud.

2) Can you do one less jump?

Ask a grown-up to choose a number from the number line.

Find the number that is one less than the chosen number and perform that many jumps, as quickly as you can! 

As your child becomes more confident include 1 more questions to. Make sure they listen carefully to hear if it 1 more or less. 

Building Towers

Put the number cards from your word pocket into a bag or box. Pull out a number card and build a tower that is one less than the number on the card. 

Shop

Set up a shop with price labels on the items. Use numbers that reflect the numbers your child recognises.        It could be numbers to 10, 20 or even higher. 

The shop is having a sale. Everything is reduced by 1p.

Ask your child to change the prices on the labels to show the new prices. 

Numbers in the Sand

Do you have a sand pit at home?

Hide some numbers in the sand. Encourage them to find a number . Can they say the number that is one less than the number they collected?

Resources

Printable Activities

Some parents have requested worksheet activities so here are some linked to 1 less. We try to make learning as hands on as possible for Year R children so please don't feel you have to complete all of these. We also understand some of you may not have printers.

Busy Things

Play the 'Rollercoaster - More or Less' game. The teachers have put this game in your favourites folder.  

Oak Academy Lessons

Exploring one less within 10

https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/exploring-one-less-within-10-cgtk0c

Finding one less than a given number

https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/finding-one-less-than-a-given-number-6wwp2d 

Finding 1 more and less than a number

https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/exploring-one-more-and-one-less-cgt64t

Number of the Week

In class we have a number of the week display. This display is to encourage the children to use deeper thinking skills about numbers. 

This week our focus number is 10.

Ideas to discuss and help your child learn are:

• count the number of objects needed to make the number
• write the number correctly
• count backwards from 10
• count on from 10
• say numbers less or more than 10
• recognise a 10p coin
• double the number
• half the number
• say 1 more and less than 10
• recognise 10 o' clock on a clock
• count in 10's