Year 1 Maths: Count up and down to find the next number – up to 20

Introduction

Hello, Year 1! Today, we are going to learn how to count up and down to find the next number. Counting is very important, and we will do it with numbers up to 20. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Counting Up

What is counting up?

Counting up means starting from a number and going to the next number. For example, if we start at 1 and count up, we say:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, … and so on until we reach 20.

Example

Let’s count up from 5:

• Start at 5.
• The next number is 6.
• If we count again, it goes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and so on.

Key Rule

When you count up, you always add 1 to the number you start with.

Counting Down

What is counting down?

Counting down is the opposite of counting up. We start from a number and go to the number before it. For example, if we start at 10 and count down, we say:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, … down to 1.

Example

Let’s count down from 8:

• Start at 8.
• The next number down is 7.
• If we count again, it goes: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Key Rule

When you count down, you always subtract 1 from the number you start with.

Tips and Tricks

1. Practice with a friend: Take turns counting up and down. It makes it fun!
2. Use your fingers: Count using your fingers; they can help you keep track.
3. Sing songs: There are lots of counting songs that can help you remember the numbers!

Questions

Easy Level (20 Questions)

1. What comes after 1?
2. What comes before 5?
3. Count up from 2: What is the next number?
4. Count down from 6: What is the number before?
5. What comes after 3?
6. What comes before 10?
7. Count up from 4: What is the next number?
8. Count down from 9: What is the number before?
9. What comes after 7?
10. What comes before 2?
11. Count up from 1: What is the next number?
12. Count down from 5: What is the number before?
13. What comes after 8?
14. What comes before 12?
15. Count up from 3: What is the next number?
16. Count down from 11: What is the number before?
17. What comes after 6?
18. What comes before 4?
19. Count up from 9: What is the next number?
20. Count down from 7: What is the number before?

Medium Level (20 Questions)

1. Count up from 13: What is the next number?
2. Count down from 17: What is the number before?
3. What comes after 14?
4. What comes before 16?
5. Count up from 15: What is the next number?
6. Count down from 18: What is the number before?
7. What comes after 11?
8. What comes before 19?
9. Count up from 10: What is the next number?
10. Count down from 20: What is the number before?
11. What comes after 12?
12. What comes before 15?
13. Count up from 7: What is the next number?
14. Count down from 14: What is the number before?
15. What comes after 9?
16. What comes before 1?
17. Count up from 6: What is the next number?
18. Count down from 13: What is the number before?
19. What comes after 5?
20. What comes before 8?

Hard Level (20 Questions)

1. Count up from 19: What is the next number?
2. Count down from 20: What is the number before?
3. Count up from 16: What is the next number?
4. Count down from 15: What is the number before?
5. What comes after 18?
6. What comes before 20?
7. Count up from 12: What is the next number?
8. Count down from 11: What is the number before?
9. What comes after 17?
10. What comes before 13?
11. Count up from 14: What is the next number?
12. Count down from 10: What is the number before?
13. What comes after 3?
14. What comes before 6?
15. Count up from 8: What is the next number?
16. Count down from 4: What is the number before?
17. What comes after 2?
18. What comes before 7?
19. Count up from 1: What is the next number?
20. Count down from 9: What is the number before?

Answers

Easy Level Answers

1. (1 + 1 = 2)
2. (5 – 1 = 4)
3. (2 + 1 = 3)
4. (6 – 1 = 5)
5. (3 + 1 = 4)
6. (10 – 1 = 9)
7. (4 + 1 = 5)
8. (9 – 1 = 8)
9. (7 + 1 = 8)
10. (2 – 1 = 1)
11. (1 + 1 = 2)
12. (5 – 1 = 4)
13. (8 + 1 = 9)
14. (12 – 1 = 11)
15. (3 + 1 = 4)
16. (11 – 1 = 10)
17. (6 + 1 = 7)
18. (4 – 1 = 3)
19. (9 + 1 = 10)
20. (7 – 1 = 6)

Medium Level Answers

1. (13 + 1 = 14)
2. (17 – 1 = 16)
3. (14 + 1 = 15)
4. (16 – 1 = 15)
5. (15 + 1 = 16)
6. (18 – 1 = 17)
7. (11 + 1 = 12)
8. (19 – 1 = 18)
9. (10 + 1 = 11)
10. (20 – 1 = 19)
11. (12 + 1 = 13)
12. (15 – 1 = 14)
13. (9 + 1 = 10)
14. (14 – 1 = 13)
15. (9 + 1 = 10)
16. (13 – 1 = 12)
17. (5 + 1 = 6)
18. (13 – 1 = 12)
19. (5 + 1 = 6)
20. (9 – 1 = 8)

Hard Level Answers

1. (19 + 1 = 20)
2. (20 – 1 = 19)
3. (16 + 1 = 17)
4. (15 – 1 = 14)
5. (18 + 1 = 19)
6. (20 – 1 = 19)
7. (12 + 1 = 13)
8. (11 – 1 = 10)
9. (17 + 1 = 18)
10. (13 – 1 = 12)
11. (14 + 1 = 15)
12. (10 – 1 = 9)
13. (3 + 1 = 4)
14. (6 – 1 = 5)
15. (8 + 1 = 9)
16. (4 – 1 = 3)
17. (2 + 1 = 3)
18. (7 – 1 = 6)
19. (1 + 1 = 2)
20. (9 – 1 = 8)

Now that you have learned how to count up and down, remember to practice every day! Happy counting, Year 1!