Early Numeracy Activities for Nursery 1

Number Work Nursery 1 Age 3 Second Term Lesson Notes – Week 1

Subject: Number Work

Class: Nursery 1
Age: 3 years
Term: Second Term
Week: 1
Topic: Back to School/Revision
Duration: 30 minutes

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Greet their classmates using simple phrases such as “Good morning” and “Hello.”
2. Share their holiday experiences confidently in a sentence or two.
3. Identify numbers 1–7 and associate them with objects.
4. Write, trace, and mold numbers 1–7 using creative materials.

Learning Activities

1. Pupils introduce themselves and greet one another using structured prompts.
2. Selected pupils share what they did during their holiday with guidance from the teacher.
3. Pupils count objects, such as toys or pictures, and match them to numbers 1, 2, 3, and 7.
4. Pupils practice sky-writing numbers and tracing them in a sand tray.
5. Pupils mold numbers 1–7 using plasticine while naming each number.

Embedded Core Skills

• Communication Skills: Pupils speak clearly when introducing themselves or describing their holidays.
• Collaboration: Pupils work together to count objects and help one another in molding numbers.
• Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Pupils match numbers with the correct quantity of objects.
• Creativity & Imagination: Pupils create numbers using plasticine and experiment with tracing in sand trays.

Learning Materials

• Flashcards with numbers 1–7.
• Colored pencils/crayons.
• Sand tray for tracing.
• Plasticine or playdough.
• Objects like blocks, beads, or buttons to count.
• Pre-drawn number worksheets for coloring.

Instructional Procedure

Step 1: Revision (5 minutes)

• Teacher’s Activity:
  • Begins with greetings such as “Good morning, class!”
  • Asks each pupil to introduce themselves by saying their name, e.g., “My name is John.”
  • Prompts pupils to share what they did during the holiday by asking, “What fun thing did you do on holiday?”
  • Revises previously learned numbers by holding up flashcards 1–7 and asking pupils to call out the numbers.
• Learners’ Activity:
  • Pupils greet the teacher and classmates confidently.
  • Pupils take turns to talk about one activity they enjoyed during the holiday, such as “I played with my toys” or “I went to Grandma’s house.”

Step 2: Introduction of Numbers (10 minutes)

• Teacher’s Activity:
  • Displays flashcards with numbers 1–7 and guides pupils in counting objects (e.g., “Count these three blocks. What number is this?”).
  • Models sky-writing numbers by tracing them in the air with large movements and encourages pupils to copy.
• Examples:
  • Shows three apples and asks, “What number is this? Yes, it’s 3!”
  • Uses flashcards for numbers 4 and 6, saying, “What comes after 3? Count and find the answer.”
  • Asks pupils to clap or jump the same number of times as the number on the flashcard, e.g., “Clap 5 times!”
• Learners’ Activity:
  • Pupils count objects like blocks or toys and match them to the correct numbers.
  • Pupils practice sky-writing by tracing large numbers 1–7 in the air with their fingers.

Step 3: Hands-On Activities (15 minutes)

• Teacher’s Activity:
  • Distributes sand trays and demonstrates tracing numbers 1–7 with fingers.
  • Provides plasticine for pupils to mold the shapes of numbers.
  • Distributes worksheets with numbers 1–7 for coloring.
• Learners’ Activity:
  • Pupils trace numbers in the sand while chanting their names, e.g., “This is 4.”
  • Pupils mold numbers using plasticine and display their work to the teacher.
  • Pupils color numbers on worksheets and count the objects associated with each number.
• Examples:
  • Pupils color three balloons next to the number 3.
  • Pupils mold a curved “2” and a straight-lined “7” with plasticine.

Assessment

The teacher assesses pupils by asking them to:

1. Count objects and match them to numbers 1–7.
2. Trace and mold the shapes of numbers 1–7.
3. Answer simple questions such as, “What number comes after 5?”

Conclusion

The teacher reviews the day’s activities by asking pupils to demonstrate sky-writing their favorite numbers.

• Gives praise for efforts, e.g., “Good job, Mary! Your number 6 looks great!”

Evaluation Questions

1. What number comes after 3?
2. Count these objects: 🍎🍎🍎. How many apples are there?
3. Trace the number 4 in the sand tray.
4. Mold the number 2 using plasticine.
5. Which number comes before 7?