KS1 Maths: Numbers - Counting up to four

Video summary

Rodd shares his discovery about sets of four identical items – on the toy cars in his collection, on chair legs, and on small world animals.

Children can spot the number four on his shelf and join in an action sequence based on the number four.

Rodd asks the children to help him solve the problem of how many hubcaps he will need for his large cardboard car, as the children match and count.

Children can join in with Rodd singing a song about the number four, and draw the number in the air.

This is from the series: Counting with Rodd Counting with Rodd 1.

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Teacher Notes

In small world animal play, students could count the legs on all the animals.

They could press the animals’ feet into damp sand or mud to see that each animal makes four footprints.

In the creative workshop area students could design and make different kinds of vehicles from junk materials, counting and matching paper plates and split pins for wheels.

They could use magnifying glasses to sort out a set of buttons with four holes.

This clip is relevant for teaching Maths at KS1 in England, Foundation Phase in Wales and Early and 1st Level in Scotland. Also Foundation and KS1 in Northern Ireland.

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Rodd thinks about how the number one applies to the picture he is painting of animals and scenery.

The number one

Rodd thinks about how the number two applies to the bike he is cleaning.

The number 2

Rodd thinks about how the number three applies to the books he is reading.

The number 3

Rodd gets a package of novelty gloves, and uses them to count on his fingers all the number fives around him, encouraging children to count with him and sing a song about the number five.

The number 5

Rodd's ladybird cake has six legs, his egg-box has six eggs and his giant die has six sides. He dresses up as a chicken and asks the children to join him in pretending to lay six eggs.

The number 6

Rodd counts his Auntie's seven pairs of bloomers, the days of the week, the colours of the rainbow and the Seven Dwarves. He asks the children to join him in singing a song about the number seven.

The number 7

Rodd discovers that umbrellas have eight spokes, spiders have eight legs and octopuses have eight arms. He invites children to count the spiders' wellies and sing the number eight song with him.

The number 8

Rodd is dressed as a firefighter for his fancy-dress party, which will have nine guests. He thinks about 999, does firefighter exercises, and counts that he has enough of everything for the party.

The number 9

Rodd is thinking about the number ten, doing ‘ten’ exercises and playing mini ‘ten-pin bowling’.

The number 10
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