Reception Maths: Zero means none
Part of the Reception Maths counting to 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Zero means none
Jack has an empty bag for his shopping. There is nothing inside.
How many things are in the bag? There are none. We say zero and write it as 0.
Zero is a number too. It comes before one.
Key ideas
- Zero means none at all.
- We write zero as 0.
- Zero comes before 1.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No sweets at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No fish at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No pencils at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Watch out
Watch out: an empty box is not a blank answer. When there is nothing to count, write 0.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Put an empty cup next to a cup with three buttons in it. Ask: “Which cup has none?” Then ask: “What number do we write for none?”
Exercise 1B Zero and none
Non-calculatorKey words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No sweets at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No apples at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No things at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No coins at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Method. Think about which number means none.
- Think about none. None means there is nothing to count.none = nothing
- Look at the choices. 10 means ten things, so it is not none.10 = ten things
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is the number with no things. ✓
Watch out. Ten is a lot of things. None is zero.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.No pencils at all.
- Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.
Method. Count the cubes Ali has at the start. Then think about what is left.
- Count the cubes at the start. Touch each cube once.1, 2, 3
- Give all of them away. None are left in his hands.Left: nothing
- Write the answer. When there is nothing left, the answer is zero.0
Check. Count the cubes Ali has now: none. Zero. ✓
Watch out. Zero is the answer when everything is gone.
Method. Start with the bag that has no apples. Then add the apples Ali puts in.
- Start with 0 apples. Zero is where we start.0 apples
- Put in 2 apples. Count on from zero: 1, 2.0, 1, 2
- Write the answer. 2 apples
Check. Count the apples in the bag: 1, 2. ✓
Watch out. Count on from zero, one at a time.
Method. Count what is in each bag.
- Count the empty bag. There is nothing in it.0
- Count the other bag. There is one apple in it.1
- Compare the two numbers. 1 is bigger than 0, so that bag has more.1 is more than 0
- Write the answer. The bag with 1 apple
Check. Zero is less than 1. ✓
Watch out. Zero is the smallest number of things.
Method. Think about whether zero is a number we can count with.
- Look at what zero means. Zero means none, and we write it as 0.0 = none
- Compare it with other numbers. We can put zero on a number line, before 1.0, 1, 2, 3
- Write the answer. No. Zero is a number, and it means none.
Check. Zero is on the number line, so it is a number. ✓
Watch out. Zero is a number. It means there are none.
Method. A good answer gives an example where there is nothing to count.
- Think of a time when there is none. Zero is needed when a box, bag or plate is empty.an empty plate
- Say how many there are. We write 0 for none.There are 0 biscuits left.
- Write the answer. Accept any answer with an example of none, such as: there are 0 biscuits left.
Check. Your example must show that there are none. ✓
Watch out. Use an example where nothing is left.