Number Sense Teaching Resources
Browse printable number sense worksheets, hands-on maths activities and more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers like you!
These resources are aligned with the Australian Maths Curriculum, and each was created by teachers with teachers — and students — in mind to help build foundational maths 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 maths 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 memorisation of algorithms, but rather a deep understanding of the underlying concepts and relationships between numbers.
When Does Number Sense Develop?
There is no single year level when we're teaching students number sense — instead, it continues to develop and become more sophisticated as students progress through primary school.
Research suggests that babies as young as 6 months old can distinguish between small and large numbers of objects, and by prep, 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 primary school as students become more adept at recognising and using numbers to solve problems, and it continues into high school and — for many students — into university.
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 Recognise 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 Maths Mentals — Students with number sense can use maths mentals 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 Subitise Numbers — Students can use visual clustering skills to instantly recognise 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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Number, Name and Ten Frame Match-Up Cards 1-30
Cards to consolidate numerals, names and values up to 30.
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Reading Colours Ordinal Numbers Worksheet
Consolidate reading colours and ordinal numbers with this worksheet.
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One, Two, Three, Four, Five - Counting Rhyme Poster
A counting rhyme to use when learning to count to ten.
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Base Ten Block Matching Cards (Random Numbers 100 - 1000)
Use these base ten block matching cards to help your students practise number recognition and place value skills for numbers up to 1000.
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Counting Numbers 0-20 Teaching Slides
Explore counting numbers as students learn to name, represent and order numbers with this ready‑made teaching slide deck.
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Roman Numeral Sign 1 - 10,000
Give your students a handy reference for ancient number systems with this Roman numerals poster set!
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Bar Model Poster Pack
Help your students solve problems using the four operations with a pack of printable strip diagram anchor charts.
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Base Ten Block Matching Cards (Numbers 1 - 120)
Connect base ten block representations with numerals with these multi-use matching cards.
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Subitising Small Collections PowerPoint
Teach your students to subitise with this editable set of teaching slides.
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Virtual Subitising Card Deck
Display these virtual subitising cards to teach your students to instantly recognise quantities.
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Recognising Numbers 0 — 10 Bingo (Small Group)
Play this fun number recognition game with your preschool and foundation students to help them identify the numbers 0 - 10!
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Ten Frame Matching Game
Use this ten frame game to strengthen your students’ number sense and foundational maths skills.
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Counting to 20 Match-Up Cards
Count objects up to 20 with our match-up card game.
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Monster Counting Mats Numbers 1-10
Count monster eyes up to 10 with this fun counting activity for the early years classroom.
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Counting to 20 I Have, Who Has? Card Game
Show student knowledge of counting to 20 with this fun I Have, Who Has? Counting Card Game.
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Which Is More? Counting Card Game
Compare and order collections up to 20 with this set of counting cards.
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I Can Count to 5 Mini Book
Count small objects up to 5 with this printable counting mini book.
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Aliens in a Spaceship Counting Game (1-6)
Practise counting with this fun aliens in a spaceship counting game.
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Number Sorting Activity: Numbers 1-10
A fun board game that helps students practise counting 1–10, with separate 1–5 and 6–10 sets for easy differentiation.
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Gumball Counting Clip Cards
Practise counting gumballs and matching the numeral with what has been counted with this set of fun clip cards.
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Counting to 10 Match-Up Activity
Practise counting to 10 with this set of twenty object and number matching cards.
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Halloween Counting to 10 Worksheets
Count, write, and match numbers and objects with printable Halloween counting worksheets.
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Roll & Cover Counting Activity
Build fine motor and counting skills with a set of printable Roll and Cover Counting Activity Mats.
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Halloween Number-Word Matching Worksheet
Match numbers and number words with a pack of Halloween printable maths worksheets for year 1.
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Counting and Colouring Basketball I Spy Worksheet
Have a bit of counting and colouring fun with a basketball worksheet for Prep.
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Four in a Row – Numbers 1–10
Match picture cards with numerals to practise counting to 10.
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Comparing Two Digit Numbers — Clash Game for Year 1
Practise comparing two-digit numbers with the help of this year 1 board game.
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Subitise Battle – Card Game
Quickly subitise and compare with this fast-paced card game.
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Rounding to the Nearest Ten - Interactive Activity
Practise rounding two-digit numbers to the nearest ten with this interactive Google Slides activity.
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Comparing Three-digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practise comparing three-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Rolling to 100 Board Game
Practise counting to 100 by 1's with this interactive hundreds board game for multiple players.
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Numbers 1-12 Frog Catching Flies Activity
A hands-on activity where children consolidate their knowledge of numbers 1-12.