Mathematics · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Counting in Multiples of 10

Active learning turns counting in tens into movement and touch, which strengthens memory for young learners. Kinesthetic and visual activities show children why ten-based counting is faster and more practical than counting ones.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Mathematics - Number and Place Value

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Number Line Jumps: Outdoor Tens Track

Draw a large number line from 0 to 100 on the playground with chalk, marking multiples of 10. Pairs take turns jumping forward in tens from a starting point, calling out numbers aloud. Switch roles after five jumps and record the sequence on clipboards.

Explain why counting in tens is useful for large numbers.

Facilitation Tip

During Number Line Jumps, stand at the start and model a big, slow hop on each multiple of ten so students feel the rhythm of the pattern.

What to look for

Show students a number line from 0 to 50 with only multiples of 10 marked. Ask: 'What number comes next after 20?' and 'What number comes before 40?' Observe if students can correctly identify the next or previous multiple of 10.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Small Groups

Tens Frame Towers: Block Building

Provide base-10 blocks or linking cubes and tens frames. In small groups, children fill frames with 10 blocks to build 'towers' of 10, 20, 30. They count the total and predict the next tower height, then compare to counting individual blocks.

Predict the next number if we are counting in tens.

Facilitation Tip

When building Tens Frame Towers, ask children to explain how many tens are in each tower before adding the next block to reinforce place value talk.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a starting number (e.g., 10). Ask them to write the next three numbers they would say if they were counting in tens. Then, ask them to draw a picture showing 3 groups of 10 objects.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Pairs

Bead String Skip: Manipulative Chains

Use bead strings with 10 beads per row. Individually or in pairs, students slide beads to count in tens, stopping at 50 or 100. Discuss patterns observed and predict what comes after 90.

Compare counting in tens with counting in ones and fives.

Facilitation Tip

For Bead String Skip, pause after every ten beads and ask, 'How many beads have we counted so far?' to connect the count to the visual grouping.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you have 50 pennies. Would it be faster to count them one by one or by making groups of ten? Why?' Listen for students' explanations that connect the efficiency of skip counting to the number of steps involved.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 15 min · Whole Class

Chant Circle: Rhythm Counting

Form a whole class circle. Leader calls a starting number; class chants and claps in tens around the circle, passing a beanbag. Vary starts like 30 or 50 to practise prediction.

Explain why counting in tens is useful for large numbers.

Facilitation Tip

In Chant Circle, begin with a slow, steady rhythm and gradually increase speed while keeping the beat so fluency grows naturally.

What to look for

Show students a number line from 0 to 50 with only multiples of 10 marked. Ask: 'What number comes next after 20?' and 'What number comes before 40?' Observe if students can correctly identify the next or previous multiple of 10.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with objects students can move or see grouped by ten, because concrete representations prevent abstract confusion. Avoid rushing to abstract symbols before children have internalized the quantity of ten. Research shows that young learners grasp skip counting best when it connects to counting actual groups, not just reciting numbers. Keep the focus on the idea that ten is a unit we can count, not just a place holder.

Students will confidently count forward and backward in tens up to 100, explain why grouping by ten is efficient, and recognize multiples of ten in real objects or images. They will also compare counting in tens with counting in fives to build comparative reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Tens Frame Towers, watch for students who build towers without grouping ten blocks together or who count each block individually instead of by groups of ten.

  Prompt students to circle each group of ten blocks with their finger and say, 'This tower has one ten, two tens,' before counting on. Ask peers to verify the grouping aloud.

• During Number Line Jumps, watch for students who skip the landing spots or count the jumps instead of the numbers they land on.

  Have students place a small object on each landing spot (10, 20, 30) as they jump, then say the number out loud before moving forward. Circle back to the objects to reinforce the count.

• During Bead String Skip, watch for students who lose track of how many groups of ten they have counted or who confuse the total with the last bead number.

  Pause after every ten beads and ask, 'How many groups of ten is that?' Then point to the beads and count aloud together before continuing. Use a whiteboard to record the running total as you go.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation