Vegetable Farm
Class 1 · Mathematics
4 ideas in Class 1 Mathematics, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Sums Beyond Ten
Part of: Adding bigger groups
Sometimes joining two groups crosses ten, like 7 tomatoes and 5 tomatoes making 12. Children count the whole joined group to find totals up to 18.
Why it matters. Crossing ten is the first big step in addition. Children who can do it stop fearing big numbers.
Try it in two minutes
- Put 7 beans and 5 beans in two piles.
- Join them and count all: the total is 12.
- Say: 7 and 5 altogether make 12.
Try at home. Join 8 spoons and 8 forks and ask your child to count the total.
Counting on and making ten
Part of: Adding bigger groups
Counting on starts from a number instead of 1: for 12 plus 4, say 13, 14, 15, 16. Making ten splits a number smartly: 12 plus 6 becomes 10 plus 8, which is 18.
Why it matters. These tricks turn hard sums into easy ones. Making ten is the key skill behind fast mental addition.
Try it in two minutes
- Put 12 beads in a row. Count 4 more: 13, 14, 15, 16.
- Split 12 into 10 and 2. Add 6 to the 2 to get 8.
- Join 10 and 8: the answer is 18.
Try at home. Ask your child to solve 13 plus 4 by counting on from 13.
Taking away bigger numbers
Part of: Adding bigger groups
Bigger take-aways work the same as small ones: 15 balloons take away 9 leaves 6. Hopping back on the strip also works: 7 back from 15 lands on 8.
Why it matters. Real left-over problems use bigger numbers. This practice makes subtraction with teens easy.
Try it in two minutes
- Keep 15 pebbles. Take 9 away.
- Count what stays: 6 pebbles.
- Say: 15 take away 9 leaves 6.
Try at home. With 16 buttons, take 4 away and ask how many stay.
Stories with two steps
Part of: Adding bigger groups
Some stories need two turns: a potter with 9 pots sells 5 and makes 7 more. First 9 take away 5 is 4, then 4 plus 7 is 11 pots.
Why it matters. Real life rarely needs just one sum. Two-step stories teach children to track a number as it changes.
Try it in two minutes
- Act with 9 beads: take 5 away. Ask: how many now?
- Add 7 beads to the rest. Ask: how many now?
- Say both steps: 9 take away 5 is 4, 4 plus 7 is 11.
Try at home. With 10 coins, spend 3 and then earn 5. Ask your child for the final count.
What your child will practise
- Counting on and making ten: Garden Quest (Match It Up)
- Counting on and making ten: Jungle Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Stories with two steps: Candy Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Sums Beyond Ten: Animal Parade Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Taking away bigger numbers: Space Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Quiz: Counting On and Making Ten (8 questions)
- Quiz: Stories with Two Steps (8 questions)
- Quiz: Sums Beyond Ten (8 questions)
- Quiz: Taking Away Bigger Numbers (8 questions)