Comparing Number Values with Young Students

This Board Game is a fun way for students to practise finding numbers that are one more or one less than.

The resource includes:

• a Game Board
• a ‘one more than’ and ‘one less than’ spinner (and accompanying number line)
• an instruction card.

How Is the Game Played?

Print the Board Game and spinner page on thick card for durability. Cut out the arrow and attach to the spinner (leaving the spinner on the page – because the number line at the bottom of the page will be a helpful scaffold!)

Students take turns rolling a die and spinning the spinner to determine how many spaces they move their counter/marker. If they throw a 4 with the die and spin ‘one more’, they must move their counter 5 spaces. If they throw a 4 with the die and spin ‘one less’, they must move 3 spaces. Each time a student moves their counter, the other players must evaluate whether the counter has been moved the correct number of spaces. The winner is the first person to move through the board to the ‘Finish’ star.

Encourage students to refer to the number line if they need assistance to work out one more or one less.

Other Ways to Use This Resource

This resource could be used in a number of different ways.

Help your students practise counting sequences by covering the Game Board with a write and wipe sleeve and have students write a string of numbers in the squares of the board. Identify the specific sequence of numbers your students need practise with, e.g. they could count forwards from 11 or backwards from 20 etc. This could be a stand-alone activity or it could be combined with playing the game.

If you would like your students to work on comparing larger numbers, abandon the Game Board altogether and simply use the spinner along with 2 six-sided dice or 10-sided dice.

Remember to have manipulatives handy for those students who require the extra scaffolding of concrete objects to count.

Looking for other resources related to number for your early learners? Click on the links below.

[resource:4695054] [resource:4304918] [resource:4261010]