L7 Spring Count To and Across 50 From Any Number

Working Without Worksheets – Year 1 Place Value: Counting to and from 50 This Working Without Worksheets lesson supports Year 1 pupils in extending their counting skills beyond 20, helping them confidently count forwards and backwards to and from 50. Through practical activities, outdoor learning, and collaborative challenges, children develop fluency and accuracy when working with larger numbers. The lesson begins with a practical starter activity: Take the class outside or into the hall for Toss and Count. Children work in pairs with a beanbag, taking turns to count aloud while throwing and catching. First, they count up to 20, then back down to 0, reinforcing fluency in counting within 20 before moving on to larger numbers. In the main input, children learn how to count confidently within 50: Recap that so far, children have only counted within 20. Today, they will learn to count forwards and backwards to 50. Show a 0–50 number line, pointing out that it’s so long it doesn’t even fit on the slide. Demonstrate how a 50-grid or 100-square is more practical for this. Work through examples: Esin counts from 22 to 34 but makes a mistake—children identify and correct it. Model correct counting backwards from 43 to 38. Briefly show number lines that begin at different numbers and practise counting forwards and backwards along them. The independent activity is hands-on and collaborative: Children work in small groups with a shuffled pack of digit cards from 20–50. Their challenge is to unmuddle the cards and order them correctly from 20 to 50. Encourage use of 100 squares for support. For an extra challenge, groups can be timed to see how quickly they can order the numbers, supporting fluency and accuracy. The plenary reinforces understanding: Return to the number grid and practise whole-class counting forwards and backwards in unison. Challenge children with questions such as: “What number comes before 32?” or “What is one more than 47?” Highlight strategies childr