Number & Algebra
Numbers to 1000, Skip Counting, and Partitioning
Year 1 · Year 2
- ✓Identify and represent numbers up to 1000 using materials and numerals.
- ✓Skip count forwards and backwards by 2s, 5s, and 10s, starting from any given number.
- ✓Understand and apply the concept of partitioning numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones.
- ✓Use place value to describe the value of digits in numbers up to 1000.
Key concepts
Numbers to 1000 include all the counting numbers from 1 up to 1000. We use three digits to write numbers from 100 to 999. For example, 345 is a number up to 1000. We read it as 'three hundred and forty-five'. We can represent these numbers using physical materials like MAB blocks (hundreds flats, tens sticks, ones cubes) or by writing the numerals.
Place value tells us how much each digit in a number is worth based on its position. For numbers up to 1000, we have three important places:\n- The digit on the far right is in the **Ones** place (e.g., in 345, the '5' is in the ones place, meaning 5 ones).\n- The digit in the middle is in the **Tens** place (e.g., in 345, the '4' is in the tens place, meaning 4 tens or 40).\n- The digit on the far left is in the **Hundreds** place (e.g., in 345, the '3' is in the hundreds place, meaning 3 hundreds or 300).
Skip counting means counting by a number other than one. Instead of counting '1, 2, 3, 4...', we might count '2, 4, 6, 8...' (counting by 2s) or '5, 10, 15, 20...' (counting by 5s) or '10, 20, 30, 40...' (counting by 10s). We can skip count forwards (adding the same number each time) or backwards (subtracting the same number each time).
Partitioning a number means breaking it down into its different place value parts. For example, if we have the number 237, we can partition it into 2 hundreds, 3 tens, and 7 ones. This can be written as an addition sentence: 200 + 30 + 7. Partitioning helps us understand the value of each digit and makes it easier to work with numbers for addition or subtraction.
Key facts to remember
- 1Numbers up to 1000 are made up of hundreds, tens, and ones places.
- 2The position of a digit in a number tells us its value (this is called place value).
- 3For a three-digit number, the ones place is on the far right, the tens place is in the middle, and the hundreds place is on the far left.
- 4Skip counting means counting in equal steps, such as by 2s, 5s, or 10s.
- 5Partitioning a number means breaking it into its place value parts (e.g., 345 = 300 + 40 + 5).
- 6When skip counting by 10s, the ones digit usually stays the same (often 0).
- 7When skip counting by 5s, the ones digit will always be either 0 or 5.
Worked examples
Example 1
What number is shown by 4 hundreds blocks, 6 tens sticks, and 8 ones cubes?
Answer
468
Using MAB (Multi-base Arithmetic Blocks) helps visualise place value and build numbers.
Example 2
Start at 30 and skip count forwards by 5s four times.
Answer
35, 40, 45, 50
Notice how the ones digit alternates between 0 and 5 when skip counting by 5s.
Example 3
Partition the number 529 into its hundreds, tens, and ones.
Answer
500 + 20 + 9
This shows the value of each digit in the number clearly.
Common mistakes
- ✗Confusing the face value of a digit with its place value (e.g., thinking the '3' in 345 means 3, instead of 300).
- ✗Making errors when skip counting, such as missing a number or adding/subtracting incorrectly.
- ✗Incorrectly identifying the place of a digit (e.g., mixing up the tens and hundreds places).
- ✗Not understanding that partitioning is about breaking a number into its hundreds, tens, and ones parts, not just any random parts.
Exam tips
- ★Always think about the hundreds, tens, and ones places when working with numbers up to 1000.
- ★Use physical materials like MAB blocks or draw pictures to help you visualise numbers and their parts.
- ★Practice skip counting forwards and backwards regularly to become quick and accurate.
- ★When partitioning, clearly write down the value of each digit (e.g., 3 hundreds = 300, 4 tens = 40, 5 ones = 5).
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