“Before and after” refers to the concept of ordering events or numbers in time or sequence. In first grade, students might practice this concept by identifying which number comes before or after a given number, or by putting events in order from first to last. Here are a few examples of activities that could help first graders practice the concept of before and after:

  1. Number lines: Draw a number line on a piece of paper, with numbers from 1 to 20. Have the student point to a number and say the number that comes before it or after it.
  2. Before and after puzzles: Cut out numbers from 1 to 10 and have the student put them in order from least to greatest. Alternatively, you could use pictures or words to create before and after puzzles.
  3. Sequencing events: Tell the student a simple story, such as “First I woke up, then I brushed my teeth, then I had breakfast.” Have the student retell the story in the correct order.
  4. Calendars: Use a calendar to practice the concept of before and after. Have the student identify the day that comes before or after a given day.

Before and after number questions for first grade students:

Questions

  1. What comes before 2?
  2. What number comes after 3?
  3. What comes before 6?
  4. What number comes after 7?
  5. What comes before 8?
  6. What number comes after 9?
  7. What comes before 10?
  8. What number comes after 11?
  9. What comes before 12?
  10. What number comes after 13?

Answers

  1. The number that comes before 2 is 1.
  2. The number that comes after 3 is 4.
  3. The number that comes before 6 is 5.
  4. The number that comes after 7 is 8.
  5. The number that comes before 8 is 7.
  6. The number that comes after 9 is 10.
  7. The number that comes before 10 is 9.
  8. The number that comes after 11 is 12.
  9. The number that comes before 12 is 11.
  10. The number that comes after 13 is 14.

Benefit

Learning about before and after numbers is an important skill for first grade students because it helps them understand the concept of place value and the order of numbers. Understanding before and after numbers is also a key component of number sense, which is the ability to understand and use numbers in a variety of contexts. This skill is important because it helps students develop a solid foundation for more advanced math concepts that they will learn in later grades.

Here are a few specific ways that learning about before and after numbers can benefit first grade students:

  • It helps students understand the relationships between numbers and how they are connected in a sequence.
  • It helps students develop their counting skills and understand how to count in order.
  • It helps students learn how to compare numbers and understand which numbers are greater than or less than others.
  • It helps students develop their problem-solving skills by allowing them to use their understanding of numbers to solve simple math problems.