scheme of work support number activities

Primary French
Activities with Numbers
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Les Numéros
Kay Crellin
June 2007
Language
1 Numbers/Actions. (KS1/2) Children often find it
easier to remember words if they can associate them with
a physical action. Establish a set of actions to represent
the numbers. Games can then be played around this, eg.
The adult says a number, children do the appropriate
action, the adult does an action, the children say the
number, etc.
Then let individual children have a go.
2 Slow Reveal. (KS1/2) Using number flashcards, cover
a number up with another piece of card and very slowly
reveal the digit, asking the question C’est quel numéro?
How quickly can the children identify the number (in
French of course!) This can be done with larger numbers
with older children.
3 Which number? (KS1/2) Draw part of a digital
number on the board (just one horizontal or vertical line).
Ask the children what number it could be. Add one more
line, asking again what it could be. Keep going until the
children have guessed the number.
4 Choose! (KS1/2) Again using number flashcards, put
the cards in a large envelope and let the children see that
you have chosen one. Now give them a choice saying
C’est …. ou …….? If they are correct, they win a point
for the class, if they are wrong, adult gets the point.
5 Allez chercher! (KS1/2) (Go fetch!) Put two identical
sets of number cards on the floor inside a large hoop.
Children are in 2 teams, they wait for your instruction
Allez chercher ……… First child back to you with the
correct number gets a point for their team.
6 Traversez la rivière (Cross the river) (KS1/2). This can
be played by drawing stepping stones (circles) on the
board containing random numbers, or with number
carpet tiles on the floor. Again, this can be a team game
where a member of one team has to say the correct
numbers to ‘hop’ across the river. If they get across they
C’est quel numéro? – What’s the
number?
Un volontaire s’il vous plait. – A
volunteer please.
Levez-vous! – Stand up.
Levez la main! – Put your hand up.
Regardez. C’est quel numéro? –
Look/Watch. What’s the number?
Regardez!
C’est quel numéro?
Choisissez. – Choose.
C’est …… ou ……? – Is it …… or
…...
Un point pour la classe. – A point
for the class.
Un point pour moi! – A point for me
Allez chercher le numéro …….. –
Go and get number ……….
Un point pour (team name)….. –
one point for (team name)…….
Traversez la rivière – Cross the river
Plouf! – Splash!
Dans l’eau – In the water.
Language
get a point. If they get one wrong, they fall in the water
and a member of the other team has to come across from
the other side to rescue them and they get the point.
7 Touchez! (Touch!) (KS2) Put a selection of numbers
on the board. Children are in two teams. A member from
each team comes to the board, adult calls out a number
and the first child to touch it wins the point. This can also
be played with the numbers in word form.
8 Lotto/Bingo (KS2) Always a favourite! This can be
played conventionally with children being asked to write
down a given amount of numbers, eg. 6 numbers
between 13-20, or whatever numbers are to be practiced.
You can also play ‘Rip Lotto’. Children are given a strip
of paper which they fold to have 8 sections. They write a
number in each section, adult calls out numbers as usual,
but they are only allowed to tear off the numbers at the
ends of their strip. This means that numbers can be called
out many times, rather than just once.
9 Quel numéro me fait sourire? (What number makes
me smile?) (KS2) Adult thinks of a set of numbers with a
common link (eg. All odds/evens, multiples of 3, 5 etc).
Draw two columns on the board one headed with a
smiley face, one with a sad face. Children suggest
numbers and if they are in your ‘set’ you write them in
the smiley column, if not, write them in the ‘sad’ column.
How quickly can the children spot the link? If children
have been introduced to the numbers in word form, you
could choose a spelling link, such as all the numbers that
contain a z, or have a silent letter etc.
10 Round the World. (KS2) A good way to practice
simple mental arithmetic. Children sit on chairs in a
circle or around a table. To begin one child stands behind
a seated child. Adult gives a simple addition/subtraction
sum. If the seated child gets the answer first, they take
Touchez le numéro ….. – Touch
number …….
Ecrivez (..) numéros entre .. et .. –
write down (…) numbers between ..
and …
Quel numéro me fait sourire? –
What number makes me smile?
Donnez-moi un numéro. – Give me
a number.
Un numéro s’il vous plait – A
number please.
Oui! – Yes!
Non! – No!
Plus +
Moins -
Language
the place of the standing child. If the standing child
answers first, they move round the circle/table. Who can
move round the most places?
11 Simple ways to reinforce numbers. These activities
can be played as a whole class or in pairs/small groups
with sets of digit cards, or with mini white boards.
 Children jot down a requested number and on
count of three, show you.
 Children are asked to give the number before or
after a given number
 Children are asked to give an odd/even number
more or less than a given number
 Teacher (or confident pupil) thinks of a number,
pupils guess. Teacher (or child) guides by saying
plus haut/plus bas (higher or lower)
 Practise number bonds by calling out a number,
children must respond with its complement, eg.
(bonds to 20) 14 (quatorze), children must respond
with 6 (six). To encourage everyone to take part,
ch could use whiteboards, jot down the answer and
on count of 1,2,3 montrez-moi, reveal what they
have written.
1,2,3, montrez-moi! – 1,2,3, show
me!
Donnez-moi le numéro avant/après
….. – give me the number
before/after …
Ecrivez un numéro impair/pair write down an odd/even number
…..
plus que – more than
moins que – less
eg. 2 plus 3 egalent 2 + 3 =
plus haut – higher
plus bas - lower