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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Comparing Three-digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practise comparing three-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Snakes and Ladders Hundreds Chart Game
Complete each hundreds chart by putting the missing numbered clusters into place to play a game of Snakes and Ladders.
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100 Chart Mystery Picture Puzzle
Practise identifying numbers within 100 with this set of 44 number cards and hundreds board.
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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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Chook, Chook, Chook, Chook - Number Rhyme and Worksheet
A 1 - 10 number rhyme and accompanying worksheet.
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Bunny Number Matching Activity
A fun activity for children to use when learning how to connect and match number names, numerals and quantities, including zero, up to 10.
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Pizza Counting Activity - Subitising Template
A fun match-up pizza activity to learn about subitising.
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Tens Frame Match-Up Game
A fun game to help children count and connect numerals and quantities.
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Ten Frame Mats (Single and Double)
A ten frame mat and a double ten frame mat to use in a variety of ways.
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Pastel Dreams – Numbers 1 to 100 Chart
Pastel Dreams themed hundreds board.
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Colourful Insects – Numbers 1 to 100 Chart
Colourful Insects themed hundreds board.
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Number Hunt Description Cards
A set of 32 task cards that have students use their knowledge of place value to find specific numbers.
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Ice Cream Addition Activity
A cute ice cream-themed addition activity.
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Numbers 1-12 Frog Catching Flies Activity
A hands-on activity where children consolidate their knowledge of numbers 1-12.
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Representations of Numbers 11-20 Flashcards
A set of flashcards showing various representations of numbers from 11-20.
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Affirmations – Numbers 1 to 100 Chart
Affirmations themed hundreds board.
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Cupcake Counting Activity
A colourful number activity using counters.
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Spot the Dots Subitising Activity
Build number sense skills with these sets of cards.
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Colour By Number - Numbers 10-20
An engaging activity to consolidate your students’ recognition of two-digit numbers.
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Number Talks - Place Value Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 32 place value task cards.
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Number Talks - Target Number Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Number Talks - Subitising Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 30 subitising task cards.
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Abstract Pattern – Numbers 1 to 100 Chart
Abstract Pattern themed hundreds board.
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Numbers 1-50
A bright number board representing numbers 1-50.
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Sorcerer Supplies – Numbers 1 to 100 Chart
Sorcerer Supplies themed hundreds board.
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Which Is More? Card Game
A set of cards for students to practise comparing and ordering collections to 20.
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Tens - Numbers 10 - 100 Posters - Money, Tallies, Tens Frames and MAB Blocks (New Zealand Currency)
Posters showing numbers going up in tens from 10 - 100 with associated images.
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Tens Numbers 10 - 100 Posters - Money, Tallies, Tens Frames and MAB Blocks (Australian Currency)
Posters showing numbers going up in tens from 10 - 100 with associated images.
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I Can Count to 10! – Mini Book
A mini book that allows students to count small numbers of objects.
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I Can Count to 5! – Mini Book
A mini book that allows students to count small numbers of objects.
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I Can Count - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to practise counting up to 10 objects.
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Numbers 1–10 Dominoes
A set of dominoes to consolidate students’ understanding of number from 1–10.
- Number Sense Worksheets
- Number Sense Games
- Number Sense Posters
- Number Sense for Preschool/Kindergarten
- Number Sense for Foundation Year
- Number Sense for Year 1
- Number Sense for Year 2
- Number Sense for Year 3
- Number Sense for Year 4
- Number Sense for Year 5
- Number Sense for Year 6
- Number Sense for Year 7