Numbers 1-20 Song

Gestures and activities to use with “Numbers 1-20 Song” song

There are a few activities you can do with this song.

• Before playing the song write the numbers 1-20 on the board.  Keep them large and in order.  Everyone sings along as the teacher points to each number.
• Have the numbers 1-20 printed on A4 sheets of paper and stuck around the walls of the classroom.  As the song is sung, everybody has to point to the correct number (the numbers can be put on the walls in the correct order or for a more difficult activity, in random order!).
• Giving everybody a copy of the Numbers 1-20 song poster.  As the song is being played the students must sing along and touch each number as it is sung.

Using “Numbers 1-20 Song” in class

This should not be taught before the Numbers 1-10 lesson.  Once your students can count to 10 this lesson will help them to reach 20!

1. Review numbers 1-10. First write the numbers 1-10 on the board and have everyone shout out the numbers as you write them.  Next, get 10 soft balls, cubes or something similar (before class, tape numbers 1-10 onto the balls) and chorus the numbers on each ball.  Then throw the balls around the room and ask individual students to bring you different numbers (e.g. “Maria, please give me number 6”). Finally, play and sing along to “The Numbers Song (Numbers 1-10)“.
2. Play “Pass the Parcel Numbers 11-20”.  You are going to play a version of “Pass the Parcel” to introduce the numbers 11-20.  Before class get 10 sheets of A4 paper and write a number (11-20) on each sheet.  Shuffle the papers up so they are ordered randomly.  Now make your parcel – roll one sheet of paper onto a ball (with the number on the inside) and then wrap the next sheet (number inside) around the ball.  Keep wrapping the sheets around the ball until all are used up and you have a parcel.  If you like, you can include a small sweet with each sheet of wrapped paper.

   In class, get everybody to sit in a circle.

   • Play some music and have everybody pass the parcel around the circle until you stop the music.  The person holding the parcel when you stop the music can unwrap the first layer.  Ask for that sheet of paper and stick it on the board with the number showing.  At this point there is no need to teach the number.
   • Start the music again and then stop it after the parcel has been passed around a while.  The student holding the parcel can unwrap the next sheet and look at the number.  S/He should then stick it on the board either to the left or right of the number already there, depending on if it comes before or after that number (e.g. if the first number was 15 and the second one is 19, then it should be placed after the 15).
   • Keep playing “Pass the Parcel” until all the numbers are stuck on the board in the correct order 11-20
3. Teach numbers 11-20. Now that you have all the numbers on the board, you can chorus them with your class.  Start with 11 and chorus it 3 times with the class.  Continue with all the numbers.  Now chorus each number in turn (11, 12, 13, etc.) and run through 11-20 a few times, each time getting faster and faster.  Now, put your class into pairs.  Have each pair practice saying the numbers together (e.g. A: 11, b: 12, A: 13, B: 14, etc.).
4. Play “Stand in the right order”. Next give each student a number sheet from the board.  If you have more than 10 students make more numbers so you have two groups.  For less than 10 students, give out more sheets per student but make sure the numbers they have are in sequence (e.g. give a student numbers 14 and 15, not 14 and 18).  Now tell your students to stand in a line in the right order.  Everyone has to shuffle around until they are standing and holding their numbers in order 11-20.  Now, get the class to shout out their numbers from 11-20, down the line.  Make it a game – each round try and do it faster than the last!
5. Do the “Write the numbers 1-20 on the board” activity.  You are going to get everyone to help write the numbers on the board which you can use when singing the “Numbers 1-20 Song”.  Draw 20 large squares on the board 4 rows.  Call out a student and ask him/her to write a large number 1 in the first box.  Keep calling out students to fill in the rest of the squares so you have all of the numbers 1-20 on the board.
6. Sing the “Numbers 1-20 Song”.  Play the song and have everybody call out the numbers along with the song.  It will help a lot if you point to each number on the board as it is sung.  It is a really fast paced song so keeping up might be a challenge but this makes it fun.  Play the song a few times until everyone can sing along well.  Also worth doing is giving everybody a copy of the Numbers 1-20 song poster.  As the song is being played the students must sing along and touch each number as it is sung.
7. Do the “1-20 Balls Write 1” worksheet.  Give out the worksheet and circulate and help as the students write the numbers.
8. Set Homework: For homework, give out the “1-20 Balls Write 2” worksheet.