L3 Count in Multiples of 9

This Year 4 Autumn Term Place Value lesson plan— “Count in Multiples of 9” —offers a clear, engaging and practical approach to teaching one of the most pattern-rich number sequences in the curriculum. Fully aligned with the national curriculum objective “Count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1,000,” this lesson builds on prior learning of multiples of 6 and 7 and supports children in developing secure fluency and reasoning. The session begins by exploring familiar multiples together on a hundred square, revisiting the patterns identified in previous lessons. Children then investigate why multiples of 9 are often considered “easy” to remember, using a range of strategies: the diagonal hundred-square pattern, the digit-sum rule, and the well-known “finger trick” for recalling the 9 times table. These methods help pupils recognise structure, deepen understanding and gain confidence. A highly interactive activity invites pupils to draw around their hands, cut them out and glue them into their maths books as flaps. Using these hand cut-outs, children practise counting in multiples of 9 by folding down different fingers, identifying the tens and ones values from their positions. They then record the multiples of 9 underneath, supporting memory, pattern recognition and concrete understanding. The lesson also includes a reasoning task involving Zach’s theory that any number whose digits sum to a multiple of 9 is itself a multiple of 9, allowing pupils to test, explore and verify this rule. With detailed key questions, assessment prompts, resource lists and common misconceptions, this planning resource ensures teachers can deliver a high-quality, hands-on lesson without worksheets, helping all learners recognise and recall multiples of 9 with confidence.