Year 1: Ordering numbers and finding the number in between
Part of the Year 1 numbers to 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Ordering numbers and finding the number in between
Numbers go in a special order. On a number line, the smallest numbers are on the left and the biggest numbers are on the right. The number before another is one less. The number after is one more. The number between two numbers sits in the middle of them.
Key ideas
- Smallest numbers are on the left. Biggest numbers are on the right.
- The number before is one less.
- The number after is one more.
- The number between two numbers is in the middle.
Key words. Smallest is the least. Biggest is the most.
Method. Smallest first. Look at where each number sits on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Numbers further to the left are smaller.
- Put the numbers in order. Start with the smallest and go to the next one.2, 4, 7, 9
- Write the numbers. 2, 4, 7, 9
Check. There are 4 numbers in the question and 4 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left a number out.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 3 and 5 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 3 and 5 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.3 + 1 = 4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. Count on from 4 to 5: 4 + 1 = 5. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Method. The biggest number is the one furthest to the right on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Look at where each one sits.
- Find the biggest number. Bigger numbers are further right.8 is the biggest number.
- Write the answer. 8
Check. Compare 8 with each of the others: 8 > each one. ✓
Watch out. Do not look at the size of the writing. Compare the numbers.
Watch out
Watch out: the bigger number is further to the right on the number line. Do not choose a number because it has a bigger picture or looks bigger on the page.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Write three or four numbers on cards and mix them up. Ask your child to put them in order, smallest first, and then biggest first.
Exercise 1E Ordering and between
Non-calculatorKey words. Smallest is the least. Biggest is the most.
Method. Smallest first. Look at where each number sits on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Numbers further to the left are smaller.
- Put the numbers in order. Start with the smallest and go to the next one.1, 3, 5, 8
- Write the numbers. 1, 3, 5, 8
Check. There are 4 numbers in the question and 4 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left a number out.
Key words. Smallest is the least. Biggest is the most.
Method. Biggest first. Look at where each number sits on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Numbers further to the left are smaller.
- Put the numbers in order. Start with the biggest and go to the next one.10, 6, 2
- Write the numbers. 10, 6, 2
Check. There are 3 numbers in the question and 3 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left a number out.
Key words. One more is the next number. One less is the number just before.
Method. Start at 6. One less is the number before 6.
- Start at 6. Put your finger on the number.Start: 6
- Move one step back. Each step on the number line is one number.6 − 1 = 5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Check it: 5 + 1 = 6. ✓
Watch out. Move one step, not two. Do not write the number you started with.
Key words. One more is the next number. One less is the number just before.
Method. Start at 7. One more is the number after 7.
- Start at 7. Put your finger on the number.Start: 7
- Move one step forward. Each step on the number line is one number.7 + 1 = 8
- Write the answer. 8
Check. Check it: 8 − 1 = 7. ✓
Watch out. Move one step, not two. Do not write the number you started with.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 7 and 9 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 7 and 9 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.7 + 1 = 8
- Write the answer. 8
Check. Count on from 8 to 9: 8 + 1 = 9. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Method. The biggest number is the one furthest to the right on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Look at where each one sits.
- Find the biggest number. Bigger numbers are further right.7 is the biggest number.
- Write the answer. 7
Check. Compare 7 with each of the others: 7 > each one. ✓
Watch out. Do not look at the size of the writing. Compare the numbers.
Method. The smallest number is the one furthest to the left on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Look at where each one sits.
- Find the smallest number. Smaller numbers are further left.2 is the smallest number.
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Compare 2 with each of the others: 2 < each one. ✓
Watch out. Do not look at the size of the writing. Compare the numbers.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 2 and 4 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 2 and 4 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.2 + 1 = 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Count on from 3 to 4: 3 + 1 = 4. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 5 and 7 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 5 and 7 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.5 + 1 = 6
- Write the answer. 6
Check. Count on from 6 to 7: 6 + 1 = 7. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 8 and 10 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 8 and 10 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.8 + 1 = 9
- Write the answer. 9
Check. Count on from 9 to 10: 9 + 1 = 10. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Key words. Between means in the middle of two numbers.
Method. The number between 4 and 6 sits in the middle of them.
- Find 4 and 6 on the number line. Put your finger on each one.
- Count on one from the smaller number. The number in the middle is one more than the smaller one.4 + 1 = 5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Count on from 5 to 6: 5 + 1 = 6. ✓
Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.
Key words. Smallest is the least. Biggest is the most.
Method. Biggest first. Look at where each number sits on the number line.
- Find each number on the number line. Numbers further to the left are smaller.
- Put the numbers in order. Start with the biggest and go to the next one.10, 5, 3, 0
- Write the numbers. 10, 5, 3, 0
Check. There are 4 numbers in the question and 4 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left a number out.
Method. Compare the two numbers using the number line.
- Find 9 and 2 on the number line. Look at where each one sits.
- Say which number is further right. Numbers further right are bigger.9 is further right than 2.
- Write the answer. So 9 is bigger, not smaller.No. 9 is bigger than 2.
Check. Count on from 2 to 9. It takes 7 steps, so 9 is bigger. ✓
Watch out. Coming later when we count does mean the number is bigger.
Method. Put the numbers in order from the biggest, then write the one in the middle as well.
- Put the numbers on the number line. Find each number from 0 to 10.
- Read the biggest to the smallest. Start at the right.10, 5, 3, 0
- Write the answer. The smallest number is the last one in the list.10, 5, 3, 0. The smallest is 0.
Check. There are 4 numbers in the list and 4 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have written every number once.