Number Sense Teaching Resources
Browse printable worksheets, hands-on math center activities and more teaching resources designed to teach number sense in the elementary classroom.
Developing number sense is an important building block for elementary math students and unlocks a deeper understanding of numbers and their relationships. Aligned with Common Core, each worksheet, game and century activity was created by teachers with teachers — and students — in mind to help build those skills in ways that engage and excite students about numbers!
Want to learn more about number sense? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a definition of number sense, how to assess this important math skill and more!
What Is Number Sense?
In the most basic sense (no pun intended), number sense refers to a student's intuitive understanding of numbers and their relationships. It includes the ability to estimate and compare quantities, understand numerical patterns and relationships and make reasonable judgments about the accuracy of calculations.
When students show an understanding of numbers, their size, relationships, and how they are affected by the four mathematical operations, what they're really showing is their number sense.
In an educational setting, building number sense is closely related to other foundational skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and logical reasoning. As our students get older, it will become a crucial skill for daily life they will use to manage finances, calculate time and make decisions based on numerical information.
Teach Starter Teacher Tip: Although the names may seem interchangeable, it's worth noting that number sense is not the same as mathematical fluency or memorization of algorithms, but rather a deep understanding of the underlying concepts and relationships between numbers.
When Does Number Sense Develop?
There is no one grade level when we're teaching students number sense — instead, it continues to develop and become more sophisticated as students progress through elementary school.
Research suggests that babies as young as 6 months old can distinguish between small and large numbers of objects, and by preschool, students are already working on number sense as they begin to learn counting and one-to-one correspondence. At this level, they're also beginning to develop an understanding of quantity and relative size — both key to overall number sense.
Number sense will continue to grow in elementary school as students become more adept at recognizing and using numbers to solve problems, and it continues into high school and — for many students — into college.
Assessing Number Sense
When we assess students for their number sense skills, there are certain mathematical concepts that they should have under their belts. These include:
- Ability to Recognize Missing Numbers in a Pattern —When kids can fill in missing numbers in a sequence, they're showing that they can make connections between numbers and develop an understanding of the relationships between them.
- Ability to Use Mental Math — Students with number sense can use mental math to solve problems involving the four basic operations.
- Ability to Engage in Systematic Counting — Children who can count systematically can more easily understand the relationships between numbers, including number magnitude, patterns, and sequences.
- Ability to Subitize Numbers — Students can use visual clustering skills to instantly recognize how many objects are in a group without physically counting them.
- Ability to Relate Numbers to Real-World Problems —For example, a student may understand that "3" means "three objects" or "three days" or "three dollars."
- Ability to Compose and Decompose Numbers — Students use number sense when they break down numbers and put them back together. For example, a student who can break down the number 10 into 8 and 2, then add the two back together to again make 10, is using number sense.
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Tracing Numbers 0-10
A worksheet to assist students when learning how to write the numbers 0–10.
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Roll, Count, and Cover - Dot Day Activities
Build fine motor skills and counting skills with a set of printable Roll, Count, and Color Dot Day Activities.
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Basketball I Spy Worksheet
Have a bit of counting and coloring fun with a basketball worksheet for Kindergarten.
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Kindergarten Counting 1-20 Matching Game
Use this matching game in your primary classroom to teach students to count quantities and match them to numbers (1-20).
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Ten Frame - Printable Templates
Print a set of 10 blank ten frames to use in various math lessons.
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Color by Number - Numbers 10–20
A color by number activity for students to practice recognizing teen numbers.
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Ice Cream Counting Game
Help students practice their knowledge of counting numbers 1-20 with this fun ice cream matching game.
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Halloween Number-Word Matching Worksheet
Match numbers and number words with a pack of Halloween printable math worksheets for kindergarten.
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Number Anchor Charts - Math
Display this set of 1-20 math anchor charts in the classroom to encourage knowledge and understanding of each number.
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100 Sprinkles for 100 Days Cupcake Craft
Sprinkle in some sweet counting practice on the 100th Day of School with a printable 100th-day celebration craft activity.
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Counting Objects Hunt - Numbers 1-10
Use one-to-one correspondence skills to practice counting objects up through 10.
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Numbers 1-10 Bug Matching Game
Help students learn to represent numbers 1-10 in picture, word and number form.
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Frog in a Pond - Color by Numbers
Color by numbers is a fun and easy way to help students recognize digits 1-6.
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Color By Numbers - Underwater Scene
A fun way to practice recognizing the digits 1–8.
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Number Word Search with Solution - 3
A number search to help your students to learn place value.
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Number Wordsearch with Solution - 2
A number search to help your students to learn place value.
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Marine Animal Counting Worksheet (0–9)
A worksheet to practice one-to-one correspondence.
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Tracing Numbers 0-20
Practice writing numbers 0–20 with this tracing activity.
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Number Ring Activity (1-20)
A number matchup activity to practice numbers 1-20.
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0-9 Digit Cards
A set of 0-9 digit cards to be used for numeracy games in the classroom.
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Free Counting From 1 to 10 Activity — Hands And Numbers Template
Teach counting from 1 to 10 and one-to-one correspondence with a creative (and free) printable activity for preschool, kindergarten, or 1st grade.
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Representing Numbers 1–10 - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to practice representing numbers from 1–10.
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Jellyfish Count to 10 Matchup Activity
Use this match-up activity to help reinforce your students’ knowledge of one-to-one correspondence to 10.
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I Can Draw 100 Shapes Worksheet — 100th Day Activity
Celebrate the 100th Day of School in the classroom with printable 100th Day of School Math worksheets.
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Thanksgiving I Spy Worksheet
Have a bit of counting and coloring fun with a Thanksgiving worksheet for Kindergarten.
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1 to 9 Number Sequencing Activity - Dog Template
A fun dog-themed number sequencing activity.
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Counting to 100 — Dot Day Worksheet
Celebrate International Dot Day with this fun, hands-on way to learn how to count to 100 using ten frames.
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Counting Objects Sort - Numbers 6-10
Practice counting 6 – 10 objects with this colorful sorting activity.
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Counting Objects Dominoes - Numbers 11–20
Practice counting objects by matching 28 numeral and picture dominoes.
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Counting Objects Parking Lot - Numbers 1-10
Practice counting objects and recognizing numerals with a match-up style game.
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Counting Objects Sort - Numbers 1-5
Practice counting 1 – 5 objects with this colorful sorting activity.
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Search and Find – Food Edition
A fun, search and find counting activity