Christmas Resources

Christmas Maths Numbers 0-120: Engaging Classroom Resources for Year 1

Looking to make maths merry this season? If you’re after engaging Christmas Maths Numbers 0-120, you’re in the right place! This post covers themed activities to help Year 1 students build essential number sense skills, from recognising number names and numerals to skip counting and partitioning into tens and ones. These Christmas-themed resources make learning numbers up to 120 enjoyable and educational. Let’s dive into the festive fun of Christmas maths!

Christmas Maths for Numbers 0-120 – Key Concepts

In this post, we’ll cover important maths concepts for Year 1, taught using our Christmas-themed resources. These resources align with the Year 1 Achievement Standard, ensuring students develop a strong foundation in number sense by the end of the year.

Key concepts include connecting number names and numerals, partitioning numbers, skip counting, and solving addition and subtraction problems. We’ll also look at some common challenges students face with numbers 0-120 and offer strategies to help them succeed.

1. Connecting Number Names, Numerals, and Quantities

By the end of Year 1, students should confidently connect number names with numerals and quantities and order numbers to at least 120. For example, when given the number 57, students should recognize it as “fifty-seven,” place it correctly on a number line, and connect it with a collection of 57 objects.

Common Challenges:
Students may struggle to link number names with their numerals, especially with larger two-digit numbers like 85 or 92, and may find it challenging to order numbers past 100.

Strategies to Overcome:
Use number lines, charts, and counting activities to create engaging, hands-on learning experiences. Visual aids help students see the structure of the number system, while physical activities, like counting real objects, provide concrete experiences to reinforce understanding.

2. Partitioning One- and Two-Digit Numbers

In Year 1, students learn to partition or break down, numbers in different ways. They begin with single-digit numbers and move to two-digit numbers, understanding that, for example, 68 is made of 60 (six tens) and 8 (ones).

Common Challenges:
Breaking down two-digit numbers into tens and ones can be tricky, especially near multiples of 10 (like 39 into 30 and 9).

Strategies to Overcome:
Introduce manipulatives, such as popstick bundles or base-ten blocks, to show how numbers break down into tens and ones visually. Interactive games where students “build” numbers using tens and ones can make this concept easier to grasp and more engaging.

3. Skip Counting and Grouping

Skip counting is an important skill for quantifying collections quickly, as students learn to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s up to 120. Grouping items into equal sets lays the foundation for multiplication and division.

Common Challenges:
Students may find it hard to skip count past 50 or to switch between counting sequences (like from counting by 5s to 10s).

Strategies to Overcome:
Incorporate skip counting activities, like arranging objects in groups or creating counting patterns. Using physical objects or visual representations helps students visualise the groups as they count, making it easier to understand and track sequences.

4. Solving Problems with Addition and Subtraction (to 20)

Year 1 students practice solving problems using addition and subtraction up to 20. They use objects, drawings, and number sentences to model real-world problems, laying the groundwork for performing basic calculations in practical situations.

Common Challenges:
Moving from physical objects to abstract methods, like writing number sentences, can be challenging. Some students may also struggle with the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.

Strategies to Overcome:
Encourage students to act out word problems by using physical objects or drawings to model the situation. Gradually transition them to using drawings or writing number sentences to represent the problems, helping to bridge the gap from concrete to abstract representation.

5. Mathematical Modelling and Problem Solving

Students begin to apply their number sense to real-life situations, like sharing collections equally, grouping objects, and solving addition and subtraction problems. They use strategies like counting on, counting back, and partitioning numbers to solve these problems.

Common Challenges:
Students may struggle with mathematical modelling, especially as they move from using physical items to abstract representations.

Strategies to Overcome:
Present students with story-based problems that allow them to relate to the situation. For example, a problem about sharing items equally among friends can help students apply mathematical thinking to real-life contexts. Encourage them to use objects, drawings, and numbers to solve these problems.

6. Skip Counting and Repeating Patterns

Students also create repeating patterns using numbers, symbols, and objects as part of developing number sense. They learn to identify the repeating unit in a pattern, connecting to skills like skip counting and recognizing patterns within the 0-120 range.

Common Challenges:
Identifying and extending patterns can be tricky when the sequence is more complex.

Strategies to Overcome:
Provide students with objects that they can physically manipulate to create and extend patterns. Encourage them to identify and say aloud the repeating unit as they extend the pattern, reinforcing the sequence and making it easier to recognize repeating structures.

With these festive activities, Year 1 students can develop their understanding of numbers 0-120 while getting into the holiday spirit! Each task combines important maths skills with hands-on Christmas fun, making learning memorable and enjoyable.

Ready to bring the holiday magic to your maths lessons? Download our Christmas-themed resources and get your students excited about maths and the festive season!