Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Count reliably up to 20.
• Identify basic 2D shapes (circles, squares, triangles, rectangles).
• Compare size and length (bigger, smaller, longer, shorter).
• Recognise and extend simple repeating patterns.
• Sort objects based on one attribute (like colour or shape).

Lesson summary

This week in Grade R Mathematics, we will be revising and consolidating key concepts covered earlier in the term. This is important because it helps us make sure everyone understands the basic building blocks of Maths. Think of it like building a house – you need a strong foundation before you can build the walls and roof. In Maths, these basic skills help us understand bigger and more exciting Maths problems later on! For instance, knowing our numbers helps us count sweets at tuck shop, share toys fairly, and even understand how many days are left until our birthday!

Lesson notes

Let's dive into each of these key concepts to make sure we are all comfortable with them.

Counting to 20: Counting is the foundation of all Maths. It's not just about saying the numbers; it's about understanding how many objects each number represents.

How to Teach: Use concrete objects like counters, pebbles, or even sweets. Start with a small number, like 1, and gradually increase. Use songs and rhymes to make it fun!

Why it matters: Knowing how to count helps children understand quantity, compare amounts, and solve simple addition and subtraction problems.

Example 1: Pretend we are selling oranges at the market. Let's count how many oranges we have in our basket. [Show 5 oranges]. "One, two, three, four, five! We have five oranges!" Example 2: Let's use our fingers to count how many learners are wearing blue shirts. [Count 3 learners]. "One, two, three! Three learners are wearing blue shirts." 2D Shapes: 2D shapes are flat shapes that we see all around us. It's important to be able to recognise and name them.

Circle: A round shape with no corners or sides. Think of a soccer ball or a plate.

Square: A shape with four equal sides and four corners (right angles). Think of a window or a checkerboard square.

Triangle: A shape with three sides and three corners. Think of a slice of watermelon or a road sign.

Rectangle: A shape with four sides and four corners (right angles). Two sides are longer than the other two. Think of a door or a book.

How to Teach: Use real-life objects, flashcards, and drawings. Play shape-sorting games.

Why it matters: Recognising shapes helps children understand spatial relationships and geometry concepts later on.

Example 1: "Look at this R5 coin. What shape is it?" (Answer: Circle)

Example 2: "This slice of pizza looks like what shape?" (Answer: Triangle)

Comparing Sizes and Lengths: Being able to compare sizes and lengths is important for everyday tasks like choosing the right size shoe or figuring out which piece of string is long enough.

Bigger than/Smaller than: Used to compare the overall size of two objects.

Longer than/Shorter than: Used to compare the length of two objects.

How to Teach: Use direct comparison with real objects. Have children hold up two objects and decide which is bigger/smaller/longer/shorter.

Why it matters: Helps children develop their understanding of measurement and spatial relationships.

Example 1: "I have an elephant toy and a mouse toy. Which one is bigger than?" (Answer: The elephant toy)

Example 2: "I have a long pencil and a short pencil. Which one is shorter than?" (Answer: The short pencil)

Repeating Patterns: Patterns are sequences that repeat. Recognising and creating patterns is an important skill that helps children develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

How to Teach: Use colours, shapes, objects, or even actions. Start with simple patterns (e.g., red, blue, red, blue) and gradually increase the complexity.

Why it matters: Patterns form the basis for understanding more complex mathematical concepts like algebra.

Example 1: "Let's make a pattern with colours: Green, Yellow, Green, Yellow, Green, Yellow… What comes next?" (Answer: Green)

Example 2: "Let's clap and stomp in a pattern: Clap, Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Clap, Stomp… What comes next?" (Answer: Clap)

Sorting Objects: Sorting involves grouping objects based on shared attributes like colour, shape, or size.

How to Teach: Provide a collection of objects and ask children to sort them based on a given attribute. Use sorting mats or containers to keep things organized.

Why it matters: Sorting helps children develop their classification skills and understand categories.

Example 1: "Here are some red blocks and some blue blocks. Can you put all the red blocks in this bucket and all the blue blocks in this other bucket?" Example 2: "Here are some big buttons and some small buttons. Can you put all the big buttons in one pile and all the small buttons in another pile?" Guided Practice (With Solutions) Let's practice these concepts together.

Question 1: Count the number of bananas in this picture: [Insert a picture of 8 bananas].

Solution: Let's count them one by one. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." There are eight bananas.

Question 2: What shape is this stop sign? [Insert a picture of a square].

Solution: This shape has four sides and four corners, and all the sides are the same length. It's a square.

Question 3: Which is longer: a crayon or a ruler? [Show a picture where a ruler is clearly longer than a crayon].

Solution: Looking at the picture, the ruler is longer than the crayon.

Question 4: What comes next in this pattern: Circle, Square, Circle, Square, ________?

Solution: The pattern is repeating Circle, Square, Circle, Square. So, the next shape is a Circle.

Question 5: Sort these objects into two groups: apples and oranges. [Show a picture of 3 apples and 4 oranges].

Solution: We would put all the apples in one group and all the oranges in the other group.