Counting forward & backward to 20, 50, 100 and 120 in steps of 1

Counting forward and backward is practised by filling in the missing terms of five-number sequences, with a counting-to-50 worksheet and a guide to an interactive whiteboard version that reaches 120.
Year groups
Nursery–Reception (Early Years), Years 1–2 (Key Stage 1)
File type
PDF
Preparation
Print ready

Updated Sep 26, 2026

Subject
Numbers, Early Math, Maths
Topic
Counting to 120, Counting Forward
Resource types
Worksheets
Preparation
Print ready

From the author

About this resource

Being able to comfortably count forward and backward up to 120 is  great preparation for students when they meet addition and subtraction later on. Differentiated at 4 levels and having the possibility of unlimited worksheets at each level means you have the resources to practise all the year round until they can master this skill.

Every question on each Worksheet Set has space for 5 terms of a sequence

There are 4 possible levels to work with covering a different range of numbers as follows:

  • 1-20:  3 numbers are visible, pupils have to find the missing 2 terms.

  • 1-50:  2 numbers are visible, pupils have to find the missing 3 terms.

  • 1-100:  1 number is visible, pupils have to find the missing 4 terms. 

  • 1-120:  1 number is visible, pupils have to find the missing 4 terms.

Unlimited Worksheets ?

Yes ... almost. At the click of a button all numbers and their location in each question are randomised, so you can create as many new worksheets you will need for practice throughout the year (classwork, homework, revision, fillers etc) or even give small groups of students in your class different sets of questions either at the same level or differentiated . There will certainly be enough to ensure fluency in this topic. 

Because these worksheets are straightforward they are ideal if you need to leave cover work for a replacement teacher. 


Answers appear on the second page of every worksheet, automatically generated whenever you create a new worksheet.

You can also blank out all the spaces, so pupils can create their own worksheet.

Interactive Teaching Page 

For whole class teaching around an Interactive Whiteboard or for one-to-one tuition on a computer, this is ideal for introducing this topic and preparation for the Worksheets.

It covers the same 4 ranges as on the worksheets with endless examples for your pupils to practise with.

Note
These resources are PDF documents and work with the official  Adobe Acrobat Reader on Windows or Mac computers with the randomising buttons also working via a touchscreen (PC or Mac) or on an Interactive Whiteboard.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • Count forward and backward within 120

  • Find missing numbers in a counting sequence

Teaching tips

  • The interactive activity runs on an interactive whiteboard or computer, so open it on the classroom board before a whole-class lesson.

Skills covered

  • Sequence completion — filling in the missing terms of each counting sequence

No reviews yet

Downloaded this resource? Tell other teachers how it went.

Resource details

Concepts & topics

Explore more

Categories this resource belongs to

Explore related searches

More to explore

You may also like