CBSE Class 1 · Mathematics
Finding the Furry Cat! (Pre-number Concepts)
Official NCERT chapter from Joyful Mathematics (English) (book code aejm1). ExamMaster notes are original teaching at CBSE Class 1 depth.
This lesson follows the official chapter “Finding the Furry Cat! (Pre-number Concepts)” in Joyful Mathematics (English). The words below are ExamMaster’s teaching, not a paste from the book. Use the NCERT chapter for the classroom sequence; use these notes to hold the idea without copying exercises or figures.
- CBSE Class 1
- Easy level
- 8 concepts
1Above, below, on, and under name a place
Above, below, on, and under each need a landmark you can point to. “On the mat” names the mat first, then the place.
The furry cat did not change size. Only the landmark-and-place pair changed. If you cannot point, the word is a guess.
Figure. Name the mat first. Above, on, and under hang on that one landmark.
How it works
- Name the landmarkBed, bag, mat, or box.
- Pick one place-wordOn, under, above, or below.
- Point before you speakA word without a point is a guess.
The cat is under the chair. What must you point to first?
- The chair
- How many cats
- The colour of the chair
The landmark comes first. The place-word hangs on it.
2Inside and outside are two sides of a boundary
A bag, a box, or a hoop has an inside and an outside. Those two words share one boundary.
Crossing the boundary flips the word. The cat is the same cat on both sides.
Figure. Inside and outside share the bag rim. Crossing the rim flips the word.
How it works
- Find the boundaryThe rim of the bag or the lip of the box.
- Ask which sideInside, or outside?
- Do not count yetPlace comes before how many.
3The same cat can hide in a new place
Moving the cat from the bag to the bed does not make a new cat. It makes a new place-sentence.
Size and colour stay. Only the landmark changes. That is why we re-point every time.
Figure. Moving the cat changes the landmark, not the cat. Re-point every time.
How it works
- Hold the cat fixed as “the same”Do not invent a second cat.
- Change only the landmarkBag, then bed.
- Say the new sentenceUnder the bed, not under the bag.
4A picture sentence uses one place-word
One honest sentence uses one place-word and one landmark. “The cat is on and under the mat” is two claims pretending to be one.
If the picture shows two landmarks, make two sentences. Do not mash them.
Figure. One honest sentence uses one place-word and one landmark. On and under is two claims.
How it works
- Pick one landmarkThe one you will point to.
- Pick one place-wordThe one the picture actually shows.
- Speak one sentenceStop after that sentence.
5Find the thing by the place-word, not by guessing
“Look under the table” is a search rule. Guessing “maybe the cupboard” ignores the word you were given.
The place-word narrows the hunt. A guess that ignores it is not a find.
Figure. Look under the table is a search rule. A cupboard guess ignores the given place-word.
How it works
- Hear the place-wordUnder, on, inside.
- Go to that landmarkThe table, not a random shelf.
- Look only thereIf it is not there, say so — do not invent a new word.
6More, less, or the same waits until you can point
You cannot honestly say which plate has more biscuits until you can point at both plates. Place comes before compare.
Matching one-to-one is allowed after you can point. A digit is not required yet.
Figure. You cannot name more or less until both plates are pointed to. Place comes before compare.
How it works
- Point to group AOne plate, one pile.
- Point to group BThe other plate.
- Then matchMore, less, or the same — still without a numeral if you like.
7Matching one to one is still allowed without a digit
Line one toy from pile A against one toy from pile B. The leftover toy is what “more” names.
You do not need to write 7 to see that one pile has an unmatched toy. The digit can wait.
Figure. Pair one to one. The unmatched A box is what more names. No digit is required.
How it works
- Choose a pairing ruleOne bead to one bead.
- Pair until a side endsStop when a side has no partner.
- Name the leftoverThat leftover is more.
8Empty is a place with no furry cat
Empty is still a place. The basket with no cat is “empty”, not “nothing we can talk about”.
Zero later will name that empty count. For now, empty is a place-word outcome.
Figure. Empty is a place with no cat inside. It is not a skip, and later zero will name that count.
How it works
- Name the landmarkThe basket.
- Look insideIs there a cat to point at?
- If not, say emptyEmpty is the honest word, not a skip.
Notes
- The official chapter title is “Finding the Furry Cat! (Pre-number Concepts)”. Teach the school test for that title, not a contest shortcut.
- If a step needs a later class, stop. The next official chapter will pick it up.
Recap
Hold these pegs from the official chapter “Finding the Furry Cat! (Pre-number Concepts)”. The wording is ExamMaster’s teaching, not a textbook recap.
- Above, below, on, and under name a place
- Above, below, on, and under each need a landmark you can point to.
- Inside and outside are two sides of a boundary
- A bag, a box, or a hoop has an inside and an outside.
- The same cat can hide in a new place
- Moving the cat from the bag to the bed does not make a new cat.
- A picture sentence uses one place-word
- One honest sentence uses one place-word and one landmark.
- Find the thing by the place-word, not by guessing
- “Look under the table” is a search rule. Guessing “maybe the cupboard” ignores the word you were given.
- More, less, or the same waits until you can point
- You cannot honestly say which plate has more biscuits until you can point at both plates.
Practise Finding the Furry Cat! (Pre-number Concepts)
Reading is free and needs no account. Practice, mocks and progress live in the app.
- A 4-question practice set that ends the chapter
- 1 quick check with worked explanations
- Timed mocks scored with the real marking scheme
- Readiness tracked per topic, kept on your device