| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) form the numerals 1-5 correctly with proper starting points and direction; (2) write numerals 1-5 to label small sets. |
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| Materials | Sand or salt trays; chunky crayons/pencils; numeral formation cards with directional arrows; lined paper with large boxes. |
| Key vocabulary | start at the top, down, around, across, numeral |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Sky writing: trace giant numerals in the air with the writing arm, chanting a formation rhyme for each ("Number 1 is like a stick — start at the top and down so quick!"). |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Model each numeral 1-5 on the board with its arrow card, thinking aloud about the start point. 2. Multi-sensory rotation: trace in the sand tray, on a partner's back, over a dotted card, then freehand on paper. 3. Purposeful writing: count a small set plate and WRITE its numeral beneath — writing with a reason. 4. Teacher circulates correcting grip and start points early, before habits set. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Museum walk past everyone's best numeral. Each child stars their own proudest one. |
| Assessment | Paper samples kept in folders: numerals 1-5 recognisable, correct start point observed for at least 3 of 5 during the rotation. |
| Teacher notes | Reversals are NORMAL at this stage — correct gently by re-tracing the arrow card, never by red-marking. Left-handers: seat them on the left of partners and angle the paper. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) form the numerals 6-10 correctly; (2) write any numeral 1-10 to label a counted set. |
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| Materials | Same as Day 1 plus formation cards 6-10. |
| Key vocabulary | curve, loop, tall, numeral |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Sky-write review of 1-5, then meet the "curvy family": 6, 8, 9 love curves; 7 is all straight lines; 10 is two old friends together (1 and 0). |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Model 6-10 with formation rhymes; give 6 and 9 a spotlight moment side by side — "6 curls DOWN into its tummy, 9 has a head UP top". 2. Multi-sensory rotation as Day 1. 3. Count-and-write: five set plates around the room; children visit, count, and write the numeral on their recording strip. 4. Number 8 clinic: the trickiest — practise the two-curve motion with big arm circles first. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Beat-yesterday challenge: write 1-10 once, neatly, in the paper boxes. Compare with yesterday's folder sample — celebrate visible progress. |
| Assessment | Recording strips: numerals written match counted sets on at least 4 of 5 plates; 6 and 9 written distinguishably. |
| Teacher notes | Keep both days' samples — they are the term's handwriting baseline and delight parents at report time. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) associate numbers with numerals fluently; (2) count a set and record it in writing; (3) build a set to match a written numeral. |
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| Materials | Counters, set plates, dice, mini whiteboards or paper strips. |
| Key vocabulary | count, record, build, match |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Quick-draw: teacher claps a count; children WRITE the numeral fast on whiteboards and flash it. Five rounds, rising suspense. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Two-way fluency stations: Station A "Count it, write it" — count plates, record numerals. Station B "Read it, build it" — read a written numeral, build the matching set. 2. Dice-and-draw game in pairs: roll, build the set, BOTH write the numeral, check each other. 3. Error hospital: three prepared plates have WRONG written labels; pairs diagnose and heal them. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) One child secretly builds a set; class counts silently and writes the numeral; reveal together. Two rounds. |
| Assessment | Station recording sheets: 4 of 5 counts recorded with correct numerals; builds a set correctly from a written numeral twice. |
| Teacher notes | Fluency both directions (set-to-numeral AND numeral-to-set) is the goal — many children are strong one way only; the stations expose which. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) measure the length of objects using non-standard units; (2) record measurements as "about ___ paper clips long"; (3) explain why units must not overlap or leave gaps. |
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| Materials | Paper clips, bottle caps, craft sticks; objects to measure (book, desk edge, shoe, skipping rope); recording sheet with pictures. |
| Key vocabulary | measure, unit, about, longer, shorter, hand span |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Teacher measures the desk with hand spans, deliberately leaving big gaps — "TWO hand spans!" Children object! Draw out the rules: no gaps, no overlaps, straight line, count carefully. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) 1. Model correct measuring with paper clips end-to-end along a book. 2. Pairs measure four objects with clips, recording "about __ clips". 3. Unit swap: measure the SAME book with craft sticks — why is the number smaller? (Bigger unit, fewer needed — a huge idea, planted gently.) 4. Body units: measure the mat in hand spans; compare a child's count with the teacher's — whose hands are bigger? |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Measurement announcements: pairs report one result in a full sentence. Tease the mystery: "If everyone's hands are different... is there a FAIR unit? (One day we will meet the METRE!)" |
| Assessment | Recording sheets: measurements recorded for 3 of 4 objects with correct technique observed (no gaps/overlaps) at least once per child. |
| Teacher notes | The unit-swap discovery is the conceptual seed of standard units (Term 2). Do not tell — let the puzzle live until then. |
| Objectives | Students will be able to: (1) write numerals 1-10 and pair them with sets (consolidation); (2) measure and record with non-standard units (consolidation). |
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| Materials | Folders of the week's work; measuring kits; checklist. |
| Key vocabulary | All week vocabulary |
| Engage (starter) | (10 min) Air-write the full 1-10 sequence to the formation rhymes, then finger-count a clapped number and write it once, best effort. |
| Develop (main) | (35 min) Round-up circuit with checklist: Table 1: count three plates and write the numerals. Table 2: read three numerals and build the sets. Table 3: measure two objects with paper clips and record. Table 4 (choice): make a "My Numbers" mini-book page — write a numeral, draw its set, copy its word from the wall. |
| Plenary (close) | (10 min) Mini-books admired in pairs. Preview with drama: "Next week two sets JOIN together — and mathematics gets its own special sentences with + and =!" |
| Assessment | Week 6 checkpoint: writes numerals 1-10 legibly (note reversals); records a count correctly; measures with correct technique. Secure/developing per skill. |
| Teacher notes | The mini-book grows all year into each child's personal mathematics dictionary — start the routine now. |