You will learn
- Name the days of the week and months of the year.
- Say how many days are in a week, month and year.
- Find a date on a calendar.
- Work out a day that is some days later.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- There are 7 days in a week and 12 months in a year.
- A calendar shows days, weeks and months.
- Months have 28, 30 or 31 days.
- Count on to find a day later.
Words to know
A chart of days, weeks and months.
7 days.
About 30 days.
12 months.
1. Discover: market day
Market day is every Wednesday. If today is Monday 6th, which date is market day? How many days away?
2. Understand: calendars
A calendar shows the days of the year. A week has 7 days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. A year has 12 months and 365 days (366 in a leap year).
Months with 30 days: April, June, September, November. February has 28 days (29 in a leap year). The rest have 31.
To find the day after 10 days, remember 7 days is a whole week. 10 days = 1 week + 3 days. From Monday: Thursday.
Idea 1: Weeks and months
A week has 7 days. A year has 12 months. A calendar shows them all. February usually has 28 days. April, June, September and November have 30.
Idea 2: Day before and after
The day after Tuesday is Wednesday. The day before Friday is Thursday. 7 days after Monday is Monday again.
Idea 3: Count on
Today is Monday. In 10 days: 7 days later is Monday, then 3 more is Thursday.
Why 7? The week repeats every 7 days.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Days
How many days are in a week?
- Monday to Sunday.
Answer: 7
Example 2 (We do it together): After
What day comes after Tuesday?
- Tuesday, then Wednesday.
Answer: Wednesday
Example 3 (You try): Later
Today is Monday. What day is it 10 days later?
Show the steps and answer
- 7 days later is Monday.
- 3 more: Tue, Wed, Thu.
Answer: Thursday
Did you know?
The week has 7 days because ancient people named days for 7 objects in the sky they could see.
Why this matters
Calendars help us plan holidays, birthdays and school terms.
4. Explore: calendar hunt
You need a calendar.
- Find today’s date.
- Count the days in this month.
- Find the date of next Friday.
- Find the day 10 days from today.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Answers depend on the date.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- There are ___ days in a week.
- The day after ___ is ___.
- There are ___ months in a year.
- ___ days later is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Days in a week?
7.
Question 2. Day after Tuesday?
Wednesday.
Question 3. Days in April?
30.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Months in a year
- Day before Friday
- Days in February (usual year)
- Is June a 30-day month?
- What day is 7 days after Monday?
Level 2: Grow
- What day comes after Saturday?
- How many days are in 3 weeks?
- What month comes before July?
Level 3: Stretch
- Today is Thursday. What day is it in 5 days?
- The 25th is a Monday. What day is the 28th?
- Ana says there are 30 days in every month. What is wrong?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: everyday mathematics
Today is Monday. A holiday is in 10 days. What day is it?
Show a sample answer
Thursday.
Another one. Your birthday is on the 12th and today is the 5th. How many days to wait?
Show a sample answer
7 days
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Check the month length: 28, 30 or 31.
Fix: Months have 28, 30 or 31 days.
Fix: Count on from the next day.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name the days and months.
- I can say how many days are in a week, month and year.
- I can find a date on a calendar.
- I can work out a day that is some days later.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- 7 days make a week.
- 12 months make a year.
- Use the calendar.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Counting money. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- How many days are in a week? [1 mark]
- What day comes after Wednesday? [1 mark]
- How many months are in a year? [1 mark]
- Today is Friday. What day will it be in 4 days? [2 marks]
- Ben says every month has 30 days. Is he right? Explain. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- 7 [1]
- Thursday [1]
- 12 [1]
- Count Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue [1]; Tuesday [1]
- No [1]. February usually has 28 days [1]. Some months have 31 [1].
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Months in a year
- Day before Friday
- Days in February (usual)
- Is June a 30-day month? (yes/no)
- 7 days after Monday
- Days in a week: ___.
- Months in a year: ___.
- Which month usually has 28 days?
- The day after Tuesday is ___.
- Days in April: ___.
Homework
Mark five important dates on a paper calendar for next month.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Months in a year | 12 | 2 |
| Day before Friday | Thursday | 2 |
| Days in February (usual) | 28 | 2 |
| Is June a 30-day month? (yes/no) | yes | 2 |
| 7 days after Monday | Monday | 2 |
| Total | 10 |
Practice answers: Worksheet: 1 12; 2 Thursday; 3 28; 4 yes; 5 Monday.
Quiz answers: 1 A, 2 B, 3 C, 4 A, 5 B, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 C, Challenge 2 C.
Extra worksheet answers (items 6 onward): 6 7; 7 12; 8 February; 9 Wednesday; 10 30.
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 12; 2 Thursday; 3 28; 4 yes; 5 Monday. Level 2: 1 Sunday; 2 21; 3 June. Level 3: 1 Tuesday; 2 Thursday; 3 February has 28 and some months have 31..
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name the days of the week and months of the year | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say how many days are in a week, month and year | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Find a date on a calendar | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Work out a day that is some days later | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Thinking every month has 30 days. Check the month length: 28, 30 or 31.
- Explain another way: use real objects first, then pictures.
- Show a simpler example: Say the days of the week in order while pointing.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about days, weeks, months and calendars. You do not need to be good at mathematics to help.
- Use a calendar at home and mark important dates.
- Ask: what day is it in 3 days?
- Practise the days and months in order.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name the days of the week and months of the year; say how many days are in a week, month and year; find a date on a calendar; work out a day that is some days later.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 days and months.
Materials. Counters (stones, seeds or bottle tops), paper, pencils, board or chalkboard. Low-resource options: use stones, seeds, sticks, bottle tops or drawings in the sand or on the board instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather the counters and draw the example pictures on the board before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Start with the Discover situation and let learners suggest ideas before you teach.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the Understand section with real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words.
Guided activity (10 min). You need a calendar. Learners follow the Explore steps in pairs.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the independent practice and the worksheet.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How many days are in a week? What day comes next? How many days in a month?
Teacher explanation notes. Use the concrete, pictorial, abstract order: real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words. Return to real objects whenever a learner needs support.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and work with a partner; say each step aloud together. Extension. Ask learners to make up their own example and explain it to a partner.
Formative assessment. Listen to learner explanations, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Thinking every month has 30 days. Check the month length: 28, 30 or 31.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz and worksheet on this page. The 8-mark exam practice scheme, the 10-mark scheme and all answers are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer and the marking scheme before publication.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Say the days of the week in order while pointing. Enrichment. Invite learners to find or create three more examples at home or in the classroom and explain them. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which concepts learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points named in the Courseversity standard: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (official site): Grade 2 » Measurement & Data. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core 2.MD.C.7 and 1.MD.B.3 (time and calendars); Cambridge Primary Mathematics Stage 2 (time). These sources informed the lesson.