Understand One More and One Less – One More Than Shapes

Help children develop a secure understanding of one more than numbers to 10 with this simple and engaging shapes maths activity. Children are encouraged to look at the number shown and draw one more shape to find the next number. The activity provides a visual and practical way for children to explore what happens when one is added to a quantity. By drawing one additional shape each time, children can make connections between numbers, quantities and the concept of one more than. Encourage children to explain their thinking using the sentence stem “One more than ___ is ___.” This helps children develop mathematical vocabulary and become confident when communicating their ideas about number. This resource is ideal for Early Years and KS1 and can be used during whole-class maths sessions, small-group work, independent learning, interventions or continuous provision. The simple format makes it easy to revisit and reinforce the concept of one more than. Children can practise: Finding one more than numbers to 10 Counting accurately Adding one to a quantity Recognising numbers to 10 Connecting numerals with quantities Developing early number sense Understanding consecutive numbers Using the language of “one more” Explaining their mathematical thinking For further practical learning, encourage children to use counters, cubes or other small objects to represent each number before adding one more. Ask questions such as “How many are there?”, “How many will there be if we add one more?” and “What number comes next?” This hands-on approach supports children to build confidence with early addition and develop a strong understanding that one more means adding one.