NCERT Joyful Mathematics, Class 1, textbook pages 48–63
How to teach Class 1 Maths Chapter 5, How Many?, at home
Adding and subtracting to 9, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.
NCERT Class 1 Maths Chapter 5 How Many?: what it teaches
Addition is putting groups together or adding more to a group. Subtraction is taking away and seeing what is left. Your child should act these out with real things long before writing + and −.
Why it matters later. This is where + and − first appear. The habits formed now, especially counting on from the bigger number, decide whether your child later adds quickly or counts on fingers for years.
See it: this chapter in pictures
You need
- 2 dice
- 10 small toys
- a cup to hide toys under
Tonight’s 10 minutes
- Put 4 toys here and 2 there. Push them together: “4 and 2 make 6.” Then start with 4 and add 2 more one at a time. Both are addition.
- Roll two dice and find the total. Play first to 20 points.
- Teach counting on: hold the bigger number in your head and count up. “Six… seven, eight.”
- Put 7 toys out, hide 3 under the cup. “How many can you still see?” Lift the cup to check.
Words to use
- and
- make
- altogether
- in all
- take away
- left
Watch for
- Counting everything from 1 every time. Fine at first. Then cover the bigger group with a cloth and start from its number.
- Giving the number taken away instead of the number left. Ask “How many went away? How many are still here?” as two separate questions.
What it sounds like at home
A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.
YouYou rolled 6 and 3. Do you need to count all the dots?
Your childI can start at 6. Seven, eight, nine.
YouGood. Now 7 toys, I hide 3 under the cup. How many can you see?
Your child4.
YouHow do you know?
Your child7 take away 3 is 4.
A game for this week: Dice race to 20
- Each player rolls two dice and adds them.
- Keep a running score on paper.
- First to 20 wins.
- Harder version: roll, then subtract the smaller from the bigger and race down from 20 to 0.
A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day
- Day 1Put two groups together and say the sum aloud.
- Day 2Add more to a group one at a time.
- Day 3Counting on from the bigger number.
- Day 4Take away with toys hidden under a cup.
- Day 5Dice race to 20.
Everyday moments to practise
- Sharing fruit: 3 bananas and 2 more bought.
- Guests arriving: 4 here, 2 more come.
- Biscuits eaten: 6 in the packet, 2 eaten.
- Birds on a wire flying away.
Quick check
Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.
What is 4 + 3?
7.
What is 8 − 5?
3.
There were 9 bananas. 6 were eaten. How many are left?
3.
Ready for the next chapter when your child…
- Counts on from the bigger number instead of starting at 1.
- Can tell a story for 5 + 3 and for 7 − 2.
- Knows how many are left after taking some away.
Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Joyful Mathematics (Class 1). See the full Class 1 parent guide for every chapter.
Questions parents ask
How do I teach addition to my Class 1 child?
Start with real objects: two groups pushed together, or more added to a group. Say the sum aloud (“4 and 2 make 6”) before writing 4 + 2 = 6.
When should my child stop counting on fingers?
Fingers are fine now. Move towards counting on from the bigger number; speed comes with practice, not pressure.
How is subtraction taught in NCERT Class 1?
As taking away and seeing what is left, using stories and objects, like frogs jumping away or laddoos being eaten.