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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6-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 6-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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Tracing Numbers 0-20
Practice writing numbers 0–20 with this tracing activity.
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Search and Find Bowerbird Worksheets
Explore images of bowerbirds and search, find and count objects that bowerbirds collect or bowerbirds themselves.
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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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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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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 to 20 - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Count objects within 20 and match the total to its written number on this 2-page cut-and-paste worksheet.
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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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Color by Number - Numbers 0–9
A color by number activity for students to practice number recognition.
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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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Tens Number, Word, and Base-10 Block Posters
Posters showing numbers going up in tens.
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Number Ring Activity (1-20)
A number matchup activity to practice numbers 1-20.
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1 to 20 Parking Lot Number Match
A parking lot themed number matching activity to use in the classroom when identifying the numbers from 1 to 20 in word and standard form.
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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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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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Ten Frame - Printable Templates
Print a set of 10 blank ten frames to use in various math lessons.
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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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Numbers 0 to 20 - Playdough Mats for Fine Motor Development
A set of number playdough mats to help children develop their fine motor skills and identify the numbers from 0 to 20.
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Subitize and Color – Worksheet
Practice subitizing to five with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Valentine's Day Math - Counting to 20 Task Cards
Practice numbers 1 to 20 with a set of printable Valentine’s Day task cards created by teachers for teachers.
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Counting Clip Cards - Dinosaurs
Practice counting objects with a set of 18 dinosaur-themed counting clip cards.
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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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Counting Objects Sort - Numbers 6-10
Practice counting 6 – 10 objects with this colorful sorting activity.
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Counting Picture Puzzle - Numbers 6-10
Practice counting 6 to 10 objects and matching groups to numbers through this 15-piece picnic scene picture puzzle
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Counting Picture Puzzle - Numbers 1-5
Practice counting objects within 5 and matching groups to numbers through this 15-piece camping scene picture puzzle
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100 Chart Mystery Picture Puzzle
Practice identifying numbers within 100 with this set of 44 number cards and hundred chart.
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Search and Find – Food Edition
A fun, search and find counting activity
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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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Counting to 10 Match-Up Activity
Practice counting to 10 with this set of twenty object and number matching cards.
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Base-10 Flashcards - Numbers 1–120
A set of Base-10 flashcards for the numbers 1–120.