Year 4 Maths: Counting Back

What is Counting Back?

Counting back is a way to find how many steps we need to take backwards from a number. It’s like stepping down a staircase! Instead of going up, we go down. This can help us solve problems, find answers, or even help when we are playing games.

Why Do We Count Back?

We count back for different reasons:

• To subtract numbers.
• To find out how much is left after taking some away.
• To solve problems where we need to decrease a number.

How to Count Back

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start with a number: Choose a number you want to count back from.
2. Decide how many steps to take back: This could be 1, 2, 3, or more.
3. Take your steps: Move backwards from the starting number.

Example

Let’s say we start at 10 and want to count back 3 steps.

• Start at 10.
• Count back 1 step: 10 – 1 = 9
• Count back 2 steps: 9 – 1 = 8
• Count back 3 steps: 8 – 1 = 7

So, 10 count back 3 steps equals 7!

Key Rules

• When you count back, you subtract.
• Each step means you take away 1 (or whatever number you decide).
• Be careful to keep track of where you are starting from!

Tips and Tricks

• Use a number line: Draw a line with numbers. It helps to see where you are counting back to.
• Count back in different ways: You can count back by 1s, 2s, 5s, or even 10s!
• Practice with games: Try counting back when playing number games or board games.

Questions

Easy Level (1-20)

1. What is 15 count back 2?
2. What is 12 count back 1?
3. What is 10 count back 3?
4. What is 20 count back 5?
5. What is 8 count back 4?
6. What is 7 count back 1?
7. What is 14 count back 7?
8. What is 5 count back 3?
9. What is 13 count back 2?
10. What is 11 count back 0?
11. What is 9 count back 3?
12. What is 18 count back 4?
13. What is 16 count back 5?
14. What is 6 count back 2?
15. What is 4 count back 1?
16. What is 19 count back 6?
17. What is 3 count back 2?
18. What is 2 count back 1?
19. What is 1 count back 0?
20. What is 0 count back 0?

Medium Level (21-40)

1. What is 25 count back 10?
2. What is 30 count back 8?
3. What is 22 count back 5?
4. What is 35 count back 7?
5. What is 40 count back 15?
6. What is 50 count back 20?
7. What is 28 count back 6?
8. What is 36 count back 9?
9. What is 33 count back 4?
10. What is 44 count back 10?
11. What is 27 count back 7?
12. What is 39 count back 5?
13. What is 46 count back 12?
14. What is 52 count back 18?
15. What is 23 count back 3?
16. What is 45 count back 6?
17. What is 57 count back 9?
18. What is 38 count back 8?
19. What is 48 count back 11?
20. What is 26 count back 5?

Hard Level (41-60)

1. What is 78 count back 25?
2. What is 91 count back 30?
3. What is 72 count back 19?
4. What is 85 count back 17?
5. What is 64 count back 12?
6. What is 53 count back 23?
7. What is 99 count back 50?
8. What is 87 count back 39?
9. What is 76 count back 27?
10. What is 60 count back 15?
11. What is 90 count back 45?
12. What is 81 count back 34?
13. What is 74 count back 22?
14. What is 62 count back 20?
15. What is 45 count back 15?
16. What is 57 count back 29?
17. What is 88 count back 49?
18. What is 96 count back 35?
19. What is 100 count back 67?
20. What is 66 count back 33?

Answers

Easy Level Answers

1. 13
2. 11
3. 7
4. 15
5. 4
6. 6
7. 7
8. 2
9. 11
10. 11
11. 6
12. 14
13. 11
14. 4
15. 3
16. 13
17. 1
18. 1
19. 0
20. 0

Medium Level Answers

1. 15
2. 22
3. 17
4. 28
5. 25
6. 30
7. 22
8. 27
9. 29
10. 34
11. 20
12. 34
13. 34
14. 34
15. 20
16. 39
17. 48
18. 30
19. 37
20. 21

Hard Level Answers

1. 53
2. 61
3. 53
4. 68
5. 52
6. 30
7. 49
8. 48
9. 49
10. 45
11. 45
12. 47
13. 52
14. 42
15. 30
16. 28
17. 39
18. 61
19. 33
20. 33

Feel free to practice counting back with these questions, and remember to use your number line or fingers if you need help! Happy counting!