How Many?: Class 1 Maths · Chapter 5

Turn the sound on. Tara will read with you.

For parents and teachers

Printable worksheet: How Many?

9 exercises (sums, circling, missing numbers, matching, drawing, tracing) to print on A4 in black and white, with the answer key on the last page. Do them after the lesson.

Open the worksheet Download worksheet (PDF)

Lesson text (for parents and teachers)

Every scene's words in order, as Tara reads them after Start: for reading along, or for a child who cannot hear the narration.

Hello, Nila!
This is Nila and her big brother, Mani.
They live by the sea in Tamil Nadu.
Tara: Hello! I am Tara. Come and find out how many!
Boats come home
2 boats are on the sand.
3 more boats come in from the sea.
Activity: How many boats are there now? Tap each boat to count.
Two baskets of fish
Nila's Appa has 2 fish in one basket.
He has 4 fish in the other basket.
Tara: Altogether means all of them, put together.
Activity: How many fish are there altogether? Tap the number.
Plus and equals
2 and 4 make 6. We write 2 + 4 = 6.
Nila writes it across. Mani writes it down.
Tara: Plus means and. Equals means make.
Activity: Now you write the 6. Trace it with your finger.
Count on your fingers
Nila holds up 5 fingers and 2 fingers.
How many fingers is that?
Tara: A full hand has 5 fingers!
Activity: How many fingers is Nila holding up altogether? Tap the number.
Zero fingers
Mani holds up 3 fingers and a fist.
A fist has 0 fingers up. 3 + 0 = 3.
Tara: Adding 0 keeps the number the same!
A dice game
Mani rolls 6 and 1. That makes 7.
Now Nila rolls. Who gets more?
Activity: How many dots are on Nila's two dice? Tap the number.
A string of beads
Nila has 6 beads on her string.
She adds 4 more beads.
Tara: Say 6 for the beads on the string. Then count on the new ones!
Activity: How many beads does Nila have now? Tap each bead to count.
Hop and add
Mani draws a number path in the sand.
Nila stands on 4. She hops 5 times.
Tara: Each hop goes one square forward.
Activity: Where does Nila land after 5 hops? Tap the number.
Ways to make 6
6 laddoos can sit on 2 plates in many ways.
5 and 1, 4 and 2, 3 and 3: all make 6!
Activity: This plate has 2 laddoos. Which plate makes 6 with it? Tap it.
Add and match
Each sum has an answer card.
Activity: Add, then join each sum to its answer.
Five little crabs
5 little crabs play on the sand.
One by one, they run into their holes.
Tara: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Let us count back!
Activity: The crabs count back: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. What comes next?
How many are left?
Nila makes 6 sandcastles.
Splash! A big wave knocks down 4.
Activity: How many sandcastles are still standing? Tap the number.
Take away
6 take away 4 leaves 2.
We write 6 − 4 = 2.
Tara: Minus means take away.
Activity: Now you write the 2. Trace it with your finger.
Hiding shells
Mani puts 10 shells in 10 squares.
He hides some. 7 shells are showing.
Activity: How many shells are hiding under the cloth? Tap the number.
Hop back
Now Nila stands on 8.
She hops back 3 times.
Tara: Hopping back is taking away!
Activity: Where does Nila land after 3 hops back? Tap the number.
Take away and match
Now each take-away sum needs its answer.
Activity: Take away, then join each sum to its answer.
Bye-bye!
You put things together and took things away.
Now you can find out how many!
Tara: Super adding and taking away! Bye-bye, see you soon!

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Class 1
Joyful Mathematics (Maths)
Ch 5: How Many?

← Chapter 4: Making 10 Next: Chapter 6: Vegetable Farm →

Published 10 Oct 2026 · Updated 10 Oct 2026 · All chapters of Joyful Mathematics · Official NCERT chapter PDF ↗

Chapters in Joyful Mathematics

Chapter 1: Finding the Furry Cat!
Chapter 2: What is Long? What is Round?
Chapter 3: Mango Treat
Chapter 4: Making 10
Chapter 5: How Many?
Chapter 6: Vegetable Farm
Chapter 7: Lina’s Family
Chapter 8: Fun with Numbers
Chapter 9: Utsav
Chapter 10: How do I Spend my Day?
Chapter 11: How Many Times?
Chapter 12: How Much Can We Spend?
Chapter 13: So Many Toys

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