Halve numbers and explain what halving means

I can halve numbers and explain what halving means.

Download all resources

Share activities with pupils

New

Year 1

Halve numbers and explain what halving means

I can halve numbers and explain what halving means.

Download all resources

Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

View new resources

Slide deck

Download slide deck

Skip slide deck

Lesson details

Key learning points

Halving is the inverse of doubling.
Halving can be used to subtract a number from its double.

Keywords

Half - One of two equal parts of a whole.
Halving - To divide into two equal parts.
Doubling - To become twice as many.
Inverse - The opposite in effect.

Common misconception

Children may struggle to see that halving is the inverse of doubling.

Only progress to this lesson once children are fluent in doubling numbers zero to five. Present the same visual (e.g. 3 apples + 3 apples) and use this to discuss doubling and halving, revealing and covering one of the two equal parts each time.

Here, halving is understood within the context of a subtraction problem, where the subtrahend is half of the minuend. Show related visuals and equations alongside each other so that children are able to make links in the way they have with addition and subtraction.

Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).