Reading and Writing Numbers Teaching Resources
Teach students how to read and write numbers in a variety of forms with this extensive collection of printable worksheets, digital activities and more resources for Australian primary teachers!
Bring these essential maths skills to life with the help of Australian maths curriculum-aligned resources that have been created with your lesson plans — and your students — in mind! Best of all, each resource has undergone a careful review process by an expert teacher on the Teach Starter team to ensure it's classroom-ready.
Looking for tips to help your students express quantities accurately and effectively? Read on for a primer from our teacher team on reading and writing numbers, how to teach these concepts and more!
Teaching Students How to Read Numbers
Before we can talk about writing numbers, we need to to set the foundation with reading them.
Once students can recognise numerals, it's typical for teachers to dive deep into place value. We want our students to understand that each digit's position in a number represents a different value (e.g., tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.).
With that comes the ability to read two- and three-digit numbers (and later even larger whole numbers!) as our students come to understand that they're not seeing two distinct numerals side-by-side but a brand-new number that has been formed.
This requires learning new language too — words like twenty, thirty, forty, etc.
So let's break down how to read a few numbers!
Reading Two-Digit Numbers
In a two-digit number, the leftmost digit represents the number of tens, and the rightmost digit represents the number of ones. For example, let's look at the number 35.
-
- The digit 3 is in the tens place, so it represents 3 tens or 30.
- The digit 5 is in the ones place, so it represents 5 ones.
To read the number 35, you say 'thirty-five.'
Here are a few more examples of how to read two-digit numbers:
- 45 — forty-five
- 27 — twenty-seven
- 93 — ninety-three
Reading Three-Digit Numbers
Let's go one level up. In a three-digit whole number, the leftmost digit represents the number of hundreds, the middle digit represents the number of tens and the rightmost digit represents the number of ones. For example, let's look at the number 371.
-
- The digit 3 is in the hundreds place, so it represents 3 hundreds or 300.
- The digit 7 is in the tens place, so it represents 7 tens or 70.
- The digit 1 is in the ones place, so it represents 1 one.
To read the number 371, you say 'three hundred seventy-one.'
Here are a few more examples of how to read three-digit numbers:
- 134 — one hundred thirty-four
- 469 — four hundred sixty-nine
- 873 — eight hundred seventy-three
Teaching Students How to Write Numbers
Now that students can read multi-digit numbers, we can start talking about writing them in different forms, including expanded form. Writing numbers again comes back to place value, with each digit in a number representing a different value based on its position within the number.
Here's what that looks like:
How to Write Two-Digit Numbers
Write the digit in the tens place first. This will be the leftmost digit in the two-digit number.
Next, write the digit in the ones place to the right of the first number.
For example, to write the number 'thirty-five,' you would:
- Write the digit 3 in the tens place.
- Write the digit 5 in the ones place.
- In the end, you have written 35.
How to Write Three-Digit Numbers
Write the digit in the hundreds place first. This will be the leftmost digit in the three-digit number.
Next, write the digit in the tens place to the right of the first number. This will be the middle digit in the three-digit number. Finally, write the digit in the ones place to the right of the middle digit.
For example, to write the number 'three hundred fifty-two,' you would:
- Write the digit 3 in the hundreds place.
- Write the digit 5 in the tens place.
- Write the digit 2 in the ones place.
- Free Plan
How to Write 2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Explore how to represent number values in standard form, word form, expanded form, and picture form with this multipurpose place value worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Worksheets (Platypus Theme)
Practise expanded notation and writing numbers in words with the Place Value Platypus.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
Partitioning 3-Digit Numbers Matching Activity
Help children partition 3-digit numbers by identifying the place value of hundreds, tens, and ones with this matching activity.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Penguin - Spreadsheet Pixel Art Activity
Practise identifying numbers in word form, expanded form, and standard form with a fun spreadsheet pixel art activity.
- Plus Plan
5-Digit Place Value Card Game - Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of place value to the tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
4-Digit Mystery Numbers Interactive Activity
Explore 4-digit numbers with this fun mystery-themed interactive activity .
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? Game - Place Value (3-Digit Numbers)
A whole-class game to consolidate students' understanding of 3-digit place value.
- Plus Plan
Counting Collections in the Hundreds PowerPoint
A 15 page editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when exploring efficient ways of counting collections in the hundreds.
- Plus Plan
Hundreds Place Value Number Expander Template
Explore expanding 3 digit numbers with your students using this number expander template.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Number Expander Template (Peacock)
A foldable peacock-themed number expander for students to record 3-digit place value.
- Free Plan
Place Value Cacti - 3-Digit Expanded Form Activity
Build 3-digit numbers in expanded form with a fun cactus-themed place value activity.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? Game - Place Value (5-Digit Numbers)
A whole-class game to consolidate students' understanding of place value.
- Plus Plan
Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and MAB)
32 different bingo cards using place value to 99.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Bingo Game – Numbers 0–1 000 000
Thirty-two different bingo cards using place value to hundred thousands.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Spin
A fun place value activity for students to use in the classroom when identifying the number of 'tens' and 'ones' in two-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
Tens and Ones - MAB Worksheet
A numeracy worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
- Plus Plan
Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practise expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Two-Digit Number Line - Differentiated Place Value Activities
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction, and using a number line with a differentiated place value activity.
- Plus Plan
Flip, Draw, Expand! - Place Value Worksheet (5-Digit Numbers)
A worksheet to use when consolidating understanding of place value to tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and Pop Sticks)
32 different bingo cards using place value to 99.
- Plus Plan
4-Digit Place Value - Assessment
An open-ended worksheet to use when assessing your students' knowledge of place value to the thousands.
- Plus Plan
5-Digit Place Value Warm Up - Interactive PowerPoint
An engaging 44 slide interactive PowerPoint to use when learning about place value to 5-digits.
- Plus Plan
Reading and Writing 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practise converting expanded form numbers into their standard form with this worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Banner - Billions to Thousandths
A banner that displays extended place value.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Place Value Houses – Template
A hands-on resource to consolidate students' early understandings of place value.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Chart - Tens of Thousands
A blank place value chart to use when exploring five-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Place Value Card Game - Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of place value to hundreds.
- Plus Plan
Random Numbers MAB Flashcards 100-10000
A set of 40 MAB flashcards of random numbers between 100 and 10000.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Practise knowledge of 3-digit numbers with this interactive activity exploring standard form, expanded form, word form and base ten form.
- Free Plan
2-Digit Numbers in Expanded Form Worksheet
Explore two-digit numbers in standard form and expanded form with this set of two cut-and-paste style worksheets.
- Plus Plan
2 Digit Place Value Puzzles
Teach students the different representations of 2-digit numbers with this place value puzzle.