Learning Outcome

Reads Indian numerals greater than 20 using number names till 50 using place value in groups of tens and ones.

Objective

● Students will learn to form numbers 21 to 50.
● Students will practice reading numbers 21 to 50.

Prerequisites

● Number recognition and reading (1-20)
● Writing numbers up to 20
● Concept of tens (Basic understanding that 10 ones make one ten)
● Counting by tens to 20

Pre-teach Vocabulary

Children should be familiar with:
● The meaning of the terms “tens” “ones”
● Terms like “more,” “less,” “before,” and “after” are about numbers
● The terms “add, plus, equal to

Introduction

Resource required:

Number Cards:
● Set of number cards with numbers 20-50
● Poster – Numbers 1 to 50

Recap:

• The teacher begins the class with a quick warm-up activity by reviewing numbers 1 to 20.
• Asks the children to count aloud from 1 to 20 together.
• The goal for today’s class is to learn about the numbers 21 to 50.
• Display a large number chart from 21 to 50. (Visual Aid)

Tens and Ones: 

• The teacher demonstrates tens and ones.
• Hold up two bundles of 10 sticks.
• We have two groups of 10. This makes twenty.
• The teacher asks everyone to say ‘twenty’.
• The teacher shows how 20 is made of 2 tens and 0 ones.
• Write ’20’ on the board. It’s a ‘2’ for two tens, and a ‘0’ for no extra ones
• Hold up both hands twice. That makes twenty fingers. The teacher sets expectations that by the end of the lesson, children will be able to read up to fifty.
• The teacher can kindle the interest of the children by asking who can think of a place where they have seen numbers bigger than 20. (Allow a few responses.)
• The teacher can play the story video during the introduction

Story: The Magical Houses of Numberland

Objective: 
To help students understand the concept of tens and ones using a simple and engaging story about two houses in Numberland.

The Magical Houses of Numberland

Once upon a time, in a place called Numberland, there were two special houses. One was called the Ones House, and the other was called the Tens House.

The Ones House
In the Ones House, there was a rule: only nine ones could live there at a time. The little numbers loved their cozy home, running around and playing games.
One day, a new number, one, arrived at the Ones House. The house was full! The numbers huddled together and said, “We have to follow the rule! When we reach ten, we must move to the Tens House.” So, the ten little ones joined hands, forming a group, and marched happily to their new home.

The Tens House
The Tens House was different. It was a grand place where numbers didn’t stay small—they became bigger! Whenever a group of ten ones arrived, they transformed into one ten and stood proudly in the Tens House.
As more groups of ten arrived, the house became livelier. Soon, there were two tens (20), then three tens (30), and more! The numbers in the Tens House were proud because they helped build bigger and stronger numbers.

A Big Surprise
One day, a little One was left alone in the Ones House, wondering what would happen next. Just then, a group of three tens from the Tens House called out, “Don’t worry! You can still stay in the Ones House until you have more friends.”
The magical houses of Numberland numbers grew in Numberland—groups of ones became tens, and tens helped create bigger and greater numbers. From then on, all the numbers understood the magic of place value, and they lived happily ever after, counting and growing together!

Video: Story – The Magical Houses of Numberland – Coming soon

ISL Video: Story – The Magical Houses of Numberland – Coming soon

Activity 1: Number Builders

Objective: To help students understand and practice forming numbers from 21 to 50 using the concepts of tens and ones.

Importance of the activity for children:

Helps in developing:

1. Numerical Skills (Number recognition, Sequencing, Place value)
2. Cognitive Skills (Memory, Pattern recognition, Problem-solving)
3. Language Skills (Vocabulary building, Listening, Comprehension)
4. Social skills (Playing together in a group)
5. Emotional skills (sense of achievement on completion builds self-esteem)

Resources required: (per pair or small group)

1. 5 bundles of 10 popsicle sticks (each bundle secured with a rubber band)
2. 10 loose popsicle sticks
3. Place value sheet with ‘Tens’ and ‘Ones’ columns
4. Dice (1-5 for tens, 0-9 for ones)

Setting for the activity:
The activity can be done indoors or outdoors, depending on the space availability.

1. Arrange students in pairs or small groups
2. Distribute materials to each group

Type of activity: Pair or Group activity

Preparation of activity:

1. The teacher shows students how tens and ones form numbers:
   • 2 ten-sticks + 0 ones = 20
   • 3 ten-sticks + 5 ones = 35
2. The teacher demonstrates
   • How to roll dice, place sticks, and write the number.
   • Example: Roll 3 (tens) and 4 (ones), place 3 bundles in ‘Tens’ and 4 sticks in ‘Ones,’ write 34

Role of the teacher: Demonstrator and facilitator

Procedure:

• One student rolls both dice
• Other students place appropriate bundles in ‘Tens’ column and loose sticks in ‘Ones’ column
• Students say the number aloud: 3 tens and 4 ones make thirty-four
• The teacher checks and then repeats the activity

Observations:
The teacher observes if the children can identify proper number formation and gives appropriate feedback.

Conclusion:

1. Reinforces understanding of place value (tens and ones).
2. Provides hands-on experience with building numbers.
3. Practices number formation in a meaningful context.
4. Encourages verbal expression of numbers.
5. Allows for peer learning and immediate feedback.

Video: Number builders – Coming soon

ISL Video: Number builders – Coming soon

Activity 2: Read the Numbers

Objective: 
To help students understand and practice reading numbers from 21 to 50.

Importance of the activity for children:

Helps in developing:

1. Numerical Skills (Number recognition, Sequencing, Place value)
2. Cognitive Skills (Memory, Pattern recognition, Problem-solving)
3. Language Skills (Vocabulary building, Listening, Comprehension)
4. Literacy Skills (Read, Listen, Speak, Recognise numbers)
5. Social skills (Playing together in a group)
6. Emotional skills (sense of achievement on completion builds self-esteem)

Resources required:
Number chart

Setting for the activity: Indoor

Here’s a visual aid specifically designed for reading numbers from 21 to 50:

TENS	ONES	NUMBER NAMES	TENS	ONES	NUMBER NAMES	TENS	ONES	NUMBER NAMES
2	1	Twenty-one	3	1	Thirty-one	4	1	Forty-one
2	2	Twenty-two	3	2	Thirty-two	4	2	Forty-two
2	3	Twenty-three	3	3	Thirty-three	4	3	Forty-three
2	4	Twenty-four	3	4	Thirty-four	4	4	Forty-four
2	5	Twenty-five	3	5	Thirty-five	4	5	Forty-five
2	6	Twenty-six	3	6	Thirty-six	4	6	Forty-six
2	7	Twenty-seven	3	7	Thirty-seven	4	7	Forty-seven
2	8	Twenty-eight	3	8	Thirty-eight	4	8	Forty-eight
2	9	Twenty-nine	3	9	Thirty-nine	4	9	Forty-nine
3	0	Thirty	4	0	Forty	5	0	Fifty

Type of activity: Individual activity

Preparation of activity:
The teacher explains the reading rule.
Reading Rule: “tens name” + “ones name”
Example: 2 tens + 7 ones is 27

Role of the teacher: Demonstrator and facilitator

Procedure:

1. The teacher can call a child and ask the child to read a number from the ‘number and word’ chart.
2. This can be repeated for all the children.

Observation:
The teacher

• Observes if the student is able to correctly identify and read numbers between 21 and 50 (both inclusive) using the “tens + ones” rule.
• Sees the child’s confidence, fluency, and pronunciation while reading the number names aloud.
• Monitors the child’s ability to focus, follow instructions, and engage with the number chart independently.

Conclusion:

• Practice reading numbers aloud.
• Identify patterns in number names.
• Discuss the structure of two-digit numbers.
• Common mistakes to avoid, like misspelling “forty” as “fourty.”
• Helps in developing visual and auditory skills.

LTM: Tactile flashcards 21 to 50 – Coming soon

LTM: Printable flashcards 21 to 50 – Coming soon

LTM: Poster – Numbers 21 to 50 – Coming soon

Activity 3: Number Line Jump

Objective: 
To help students understand and practice reading numbers from 21 to 50.

Importance of the activity for children:

Helps in developing:

1. Numerical Skills (Number recognition)
2. Cognitive Skills (Memory, Listening & Recall)
3. Gross Motor Skills (Hopping and balancing)
4. Social skills (Playing together in a group, waiting for their turn, co-operation)
5. Emotional skills (Building confidence in numerical abilities, sense of achievement on completion builds self-esteem, pride in learning new skills)

Resources required:
Masking tape, number cards

Setting for the activity:
The activity can be done indoors or outdoors depending on the space availability.

Type of activity: Individual activity

Preparation of activity:
The teacher should draw a number line on the ground, using masking tape with enough space between numbers. The teacher can adjust the scale or range based on the classroom size and student needs.

Role of the teacher: Demonstrator and facilitator

Procedure:

1. Place number cards or use a chalk at each marked point
2. Call out numbers in between 21 and 50 (both inclusive)
3. Students walk or jump to the correct position on the line as their names are called out.

Observation:
The teacher observes whether the children are able to listen and identify the number and provides guidance if required.

Conclusion:
The children will learn to identify the numbers from 21 to 50.

Video: Number line jump – Coming soon

ISL Video: Number line jump – Coming soon

Home Activity

• Assign 5 numbers to each child: 21 to 25, 26 to 30, 31 to 35, 36 to 40, 41 to 45, and 46 to 50. [Numbers can be repeated depending on the number of children in the class.]
• Instruct the children to prepare a chart with two columns and 5 rows. In the first column, write the number, and in the second column, draw any object equal to the number in the first column. Example: 32; three bunches of flowers with 10 flowers in a bunch and 2 separate flowers or three groups of 10 stars each and 2 separate stars
• When the charts are completed, display them in the classroom.

Cross-Curricular Connection:

• Art and Craft:
  Clay or collage activity of forming numbers.
• Physical Education Class:
  Tens and Ones Toss:
  • Use two baskets—one for tens and one for ones.
  • Keep a few beanbags of tens and a few beanbags of ones. (To differentiate tens and ones, use different colours.)
  • The teacher calls the children one by one and announces a number, say 26.
  • The child should pick two tens and toss it in the tens basket and six ones and toss it in the ones basket and say aloud ‘twenty six.’
  • Play the game till all children get a chance.
• Language Class:
  Number Sentence Time: Ask children to choose a number (21 to 50) and create a simple sentence using that number. For example: “There were 27 stars in the sky. They danced and twinkled all night.”

Assessment:
The teacher can give the practice worksheet to the children, which can be followed by the assessment worksheet.

Worksheet: Practice Worksheet – Coming soon

Worksheet: Practice Worksheet (Enlarged) – Coming soon

Worksheet: Assessment Worksheet – Coming soon

Worksheet: Assessment Worksheet (Enlarged) – Coming soon

Check list for teacher:

Activity	Yes	No	Sometimes
Children can:
Read and tell numbers from 21 to 50
Read and tell numbers in a sequence from 1 to 20
Understand tens and ones
Form numbers from 21 to 50 using the concepts of tens and ones
Focus on the activity
Complete the activity in the given time
Do the activity independently
Express verbally and through actions, expressions, or gestures

Adaptations for addressing learner variability: Adaptations and strategies – Coming soon

Teacher Resource Document – Coming soon

Source and Attribution of images: All images used in the above Assets and Aids are originally created.

This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.