L1– WWW – Y1 Recognise Half of Shapes and Objects

Working Without Worksheets – Year 1 Fractions: Recognising Half as 2 Equal Parts Introduce fractions to your Year 1 pupils with this Working Without Worksheets lesson on recognising halves. This lesson helps children understand that a half means two equal parts by sorting and discussing pictures that do and do not show halves. Instead of worksheets, pupils use reasoning, discussion, and book-based recording to develop a strong foundation in fractions. The lesson begins with a starter activity, where children practise fluency through missing number problems, number bonds to 10, and completing a number track. Pupils are then introduced to the idea of one-half by looking at real-life and drawn examples. Using teacher modelling and class discussion, children sort pictures into “half” and “not half”, explaining why some shapes are fairly divided and others are not. Independent practice includes recording examples in their maths books, labelling which shapes show a half. The lesson concludes with a fun plenary, where pupils tick the picture of a pizza that shows half, reinforcing the core concept of equality. What’s Included in the Pack? ✔ Full teacher planning with objectives, modelling, and plenary guidance ✔ Starter: missing number problems, number bonds to 10, complete number track ✔ Vocabulary focus: half, equal, unequal, part, whole, fair, share ✔ Practical activity: sorting pictures into “half” and “not half” ✔ Independent recording: label pictures in books to show whether they represent half ✔ Plenary: tick the pizza picture that shows half and explain reasoning ✔ No worksheets—children record directly in their books Why Teachers Love This Resource: ✔ Simple, clear introduction to fractions for Year 1 ✔ Visual and practical activities to secure understanding ✔ Focuses on recognising halves before moving to finding halves ✔ Encourages reasoning and mathematical discussion ✔ Worksheet-free: neat recording directly in maths books ✔ Saves preparation time with ready-t