Find the difference between consecutive numbers | Maths

Starter quiz

Match the equation to the total.
- One more than 5 is
  
  ⇔
  
  6 ✓
- One more than 8 is
  
  ⇔
  
  9 ✓
- One more than 4 is
  
  ⇔
  
  5 ✓
- One more than 9 is
  
  ⇔
  
  10 ✓
Match the equation to the answer.
- One less than 3 is
  
  ⇔
  
  2 ✓
- One less than 6 is
  
  ⇔
  
  5 ✓
- One less than 9 is
  
  ⇔
  
  8 ✓
- One less than 7 is
  
  ⇔
  
  6 ✓
Addition is commutative. Which equations have the same sum?
- 1 + 6
  
  ⇔
  
  6 + 1 ✓
- 9 + 1
  
  ⇔
  
  1 + 9 ✓
- 3 + 1
  
  ⇔
  
  1 + 3 ✓
- 2 + 8
  
  ⇔
  
  8 + 2 ✓
Match the equation to the answer.
- 10 - 1 =
  
  ⇔
  
  9 ✓
- 1 + 5 =
  
  ⇔
  
  6 ✓
- 6 - 1 =
  
  ⇔
  
  5 ✓
- 9 + 1 =
  
  ⇔
  
  8 ✓
Jacob has one pound. He needs five pounds to buy a new book. How many more pounds does he need?
- '4' ✓
First, Sam has 10 cherries. Then, she eats some of the cherries. Now, she has one cherry left. How many cherries did she eat?
- '9' ✓

True or false. 4 and 5 are consecutive numbers.
- True ✓
- False
4 is the consecutive number before 5 What is the consecutive number after 5?
- '6' ✓
What is the missing subtrahend?
- '5' ✓
What is the missing subtrahend in this equation? 8 - ______ = 1
- 6
- 1
- 7 ✓
Which equation shows that consecutive numbers have a difference of 1?
- 4 + 2 = 6
- 1 + 5 = 6
- 6 - 3 = 3
- 7 - 6 = 1 ✓
I had 6 cakes. Now, there is 1 cake left. How many cakes have been eaten? Which bar model represents this problem?

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In a subtraction equation, when the subtrahend is one less than the minuend, all except one is subtracted.
Numbers that are one more or one less than each other are called consecutive numbers.
Consecutive numbers have a difference of one.
Spotting consecutive numbers in subtraction equations can help us to solve equations more quickly.

Children may resort to counting strategies to find the difference e.g. counting back four from five to solve 5 - 4

Always make a clear link between 'all except one' object leaving, and the subtrahend being one less than the minuend.