AC9M1N03 • Year 1 Maths
Large collections are easier to count when they are partitioned into equal groups and skip counted.
Large collections are easier to count when they are partitioned into equal groups and skip counted.
Learning routine: Group equally → Count groups → Skip count → Check total
If the groups are not equal, skip counting gives the wrong total.
Use 10s for big collections, 5s for medium collections, and 2s when pairs are easiest.
Explain your thinking: Say what each part of the model represents, then explain why the answer or conclusion follows.
Organise a collection into equal groups, then include any objects left over.
A collection has 7 full groups of ten and 4 loose counters. How many counters are there?
Watch for this mistake: Seven groups of ten contain 70 objects, not 7. Remember to include the loose objects after counting the groups.
There are 11 groups of ten and 6 loose blocks. How many blocks?
Count the tens to 110, then the ones.
116 blocks.
A student counts 6 groups of five as 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. What was missed?
Match one number word to each full group.
The sixth group was missed. The total is 30.
These curriculum examples extend the central model into varied contexts. They are learning contexts, not extra definitions to memorise.
counting a large collection of items using groups of fives or tens and skip counting to work out how many there are; recording the amount and connecting the digits in the number to the grouped materials when using groups of 10
Try and explain: There are six groups of five counters and two loose counters. Count efficiently.
Count 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, then 31, 32. There are 32 counters; the two loose counters are not another group of five.
counting collections of objects such as pencils or images of birds in a tree, by grouping them in tens to enable efficient counting and connecting the digits in the number to the groups of tens and ones
Try and explain: Nine bundles each contain ten pencils, with six loose pencils beside them. What is the total?
96 pencils. Nine tens make 90, and six more make 96.
counting a large collection of Australian \$1 coins by stacking them into piles of 10, skip counting in tens and including any leftover coins to determine the total value
Try and explain: Play money shows four stacks of ten $1 coins and three loose $1 coins. What is the total value?
$43. Count the stacks as $10, $20, $30, $40, then add $3. Each coin is worth one dollar.
Group counters into 5s and skip count to find the total.
Model: 5, 10, 15, 20
Look at groups and decide whether skip counting is safe.
Model: 4, 4, 4, 4 = safe
Choose 2s, 5s or 10s for a collection and explain why.
Model: 10, 20, 30, 40
Key idea: Large collections are easier to count when they are partitioned into equal groups and skip counted.
Return to the concept model if an answer is uncertain. Use the model to explain, not just to guess.
AC9M1N03: quantify sets of objects, to at least 120, by partitioning collections into equal groups using number knowledge and skip counting
Use the Practice Sheet for written or hands-on work, Practice for supported feedback, and Test when the student is ready to demonstrate independent mastery.
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
Scratch Garden — Use equal groups of two to practise counting a collection.
As you watch: Point to the next pair of objects each time you hear another number.
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Try it: Arrange 20 counters in pairs. Count by twos, then count singly to check the total.
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Mapped skill: quantify sets of objects, to at least 120, by partitioning collections into equal groups using number knowledge and skip counting
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9M1N03 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — Mathematics | VC2M1N03 · Level 1 |
| New South Wales | NSW Mathematics K–10 Syllabus (2022) | MA1-RWN-01 + MA1-FG-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for Mathematics | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — Mathematics | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — Mathematics | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — Mathematics | Class 1 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
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Topic reference: AC9M1N03 — Skip Counting and Equal Groups
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