Mathematics · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Number Bonds to 20

Active learning is essential for number bonds to 20 because it moves students beyond simply memorizing facts to truly understanding number relationships. Hands-on exploration and collaborative discussion allow students to discover patterns and build fluency with addition and subtraction facts within 20.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Mathematics - Addition and Subtraction

• 15–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Number Bond Match-Up: Cards

Create sets of cards, with one card showing a number (e.g., 13) and others showing pairs that sum to it (e.g., 10+3, 9+4, 8+5). Students work in pairs to match the number cards with their corresponding bond cards.

Compare number bonds to 10 with number bonds to 20.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, give students quiet time to first consider the number bond cards individually before they discuss with a partner.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Individual

Building Towers: Number Bonds

Provide students with two colors of building blocks. Ask them to build towers of a specific height (e.g., 15 blocks) using only two colors. They record the number of blocks of each color used, creating a visual representation of a number bond.

Construct all possible number bonds for the number 15.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw expert phase for Building Towers, circulate to ensure each group is focused on understanding the specific number bond they are assigned to become experts on.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Whole Class

Number Bond Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch grid with numbers up to 20. Students hop to a number, then call out two numbers that add up to it. For example, landing on 17 might elicit '10 and 7' or '9 and 8'.

Justify why knowing number bonds helps with addition and subtraction.

Facilitation Tip

During Number Bond Hopscotch, prompt students to articulate their number bond choices aloud as they land on each number, encouraging them to think about different combinations.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

To teach number bonds to 20 effectively, use a concrete-to-representational approach. Start with manipulatives like blocks or counters, then move to pictorial representations like number bond diagrams or number lines. Emphasize the part-part-whole relationship and encourage students to articulate their thinking, making connections to known facts from number bonds to 10.

Students will be able to identify and articulate multiple ways to represent numbers up to 20 as sums of two addends. They will demonstrate flexibility in their thinking, seeing the connections between different number bonds and understanding how they relate to each other.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Number Bond Match-Up, watch for students who only identify one pair of numbers that sums to a target number, like only 10 + 5 for 15.

  Redirect students by asking them to find 'another pair' or 'a different way' to make the number using the remaining cards or by drawing more combinations.

• During Building Towers, watch for students who struggle to connect the height of the tower (the whole) to the two different colored blocks (the parts).

  Guide students to physically separate the tower into its two color components and then write the corresponding addition and subtraction sentences, reinforcing the relationship.

• During Number Bond Hopscotch, watch for students who only call out addition facts and struggle to see the subtraction relationship.

  Prompt students to say 'and also' or 'which means' after they state an addition bond, encouraging them to immediately follow with the related subtraction fact (e.g., '9 + 6 is 15, and also 15 - 6 is 9').

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share