Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Count forwards from 0 to 10.
• Count backwards from 10 to 0.
• Find the number that comes before or after another number.
• Count using objects like blocks and toys.

Lesson summary

This week in Mathematics, we will focus on solidifying our understanding of numbers 0 to 10 by practicing counting both forwards and backwards. This is a crucial skill because numbers are all around us in our everyday lives in South Africa. We use them when we count sweets in our tuck shop, the number of children in our classroom, the days until a special holiday like Heritage Day, or even when playing games like hide-and-seek. Being able to count forwards helps us add things up and understand how many we have in total. Counting backwards helps us understand subtraction and how many we have left when we give things away or use them up.

Lesson notes

Counting Forwards: Counting forwards is like climbing a staircase. We start at the bottom (0) and go up, one step at a time. Each step represents the next number. So, after 0 comes 1, then 2, then 3, and so on until we reach

1

0. Why do we count forwards? We count forwards to find out the total number of items we have. For example, if we have 3 apples and we get 2 more, we can count forwards from 3 to find the total: 3, 4,

5. We now have 5 apples!

Counting Backwards: Counting backwards is like sliding down a slide. We start at the top (10) and slide down, one step at a time. Each slide represents the previous number. So, before 10 comes 9, then 8, then 7, and so on until we reach

0. Why do we count backwards? We count backwards to find out how many items we have left after taking some away. For example, if we have 7 sweets and we eat 2, we can count backwards from 7 to find out how many are left: 7, 6,

5. We now have 5 sweets left!

The Number Line: Imagine a line with numbers written on it in order: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

1

0. This is called a number line. When we count forwards, we move to the right along the number line. When we count backwards, we move to the left.

Worked example

Example 1 (Counting Forwards):

Nomusa has 2 marbles. Her friend gives her 3 more marbles. How many marbles does Nomusa have in total?

Start at 2 (the number of marbles Nomusa had originally).

Count forwards 3 times: 2, 3, 4,

5.

Nomusa now has 5 marbles.

Example 2 (Counting Backwards):

Sipho has 8 crayons. He loses 2 crayons. How many crayons does Sipho have left?

Start at 8 (the number of crayons Sipho had originally).

Count backwards 2 times: 8, 7,

6.

Sipho now has 6 crayons left.

Example 3 (Finding the Number Before and After):

What number comes before 6? What number comes after 6?

Think of the number line: …, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, …

The number before 6 is

5.

The number after 6 is

7. Example 4 (Using Concrete Objects):