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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Numbers to 30 - Printable Tens Frames
Use a printable ten frame when working on counting, addition and subtraction, odd and even numbers, or place value.
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Number Recognition Worksheet - Sloth Colour-by-Number
Use the number colour coding on this colouring sheet to create a cute sloth-themed picture.
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Number Posters
Display this set of 1-20 number posters in the classroom to encourage a knowledge and understanding of each number.
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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 1-20 Flashcards
Practise representations of numbers 1 - 20 in your classroom with this versatile set of flashcards.
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Subitising Dominoes
Use these subitising dominoes to give your students practise subitising small collections of objects.
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Counting Crocodiles - Numbers 1 to 10 Worksheet
A crocodile themed place value worksheet to use when identifying and counting numbers from 1 to 10.
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Ordinal Numbers Bingo Cards
32 different bingo cards using ordinal numbers.
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1-9 Number and Value Match-Up Worksheet
Match-up 1-9 numbers and words with this simple and easy to use worksheet.
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Writing Numbers 0-10
A chart to assist students when learning how to form numbers.
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1-10 Counting Worksheet
A simple worksheet to help students with their counting skills.
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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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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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Number Ordering Game (Numbers 1 - 10)
Play this number ordering game for a fun way to increase student skill in ordering numbers 1 - 10.
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Animated Flip Book (Ordering Numbers)
Delight your students with this animated flip book that will help them solidify their understanding of counting and ordering the numbers 1 through 20.
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Number Recognition Activity Mats (Numbers 0 - 10)
Use these Number Recognition Activity Mats to give your students hands-on practise building and writing the numbers 0 - 10.
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Subitising Dice - Numbers 1 to 9
Practise subitising to 9 with your students using this versatile set of dice flashcards.
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Numbers in the Environment Worksheet
Practise identifying numbers in the environment with this "seek-and-find" worksheet.
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Number Recognition Printable Dot Maze Pack
Utilise these number recognition printable worksheets to help your students identify the numbers 1 through 20.
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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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Make a Pizza Counting Game
Use this pizza-themed counting game to get your students matching numerals with their corresponding quantities.
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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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Counting Wheel Clip Cards Numbers 1-10
Practise counting objects to 10 and using fine motor skills to put a peg on these clip 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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Counting 1-20 Worksheet Pack
Practise counting to 20 with this set of worksheets ready to go!
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Counting to 20 Interactive Task Cards
Explore the woods with this nature hike and count the different groups of objects along the way!
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Counting to 20 Task Cards
Practice counting objects up to 20 with this set of 16 task cards.
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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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Crazy Creatures – Counting Worksheet
Bring a bit of (not-so) spooky counting into year 1 with a crazy creatures Halloween activity.
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Pirate's Plunder - Number Line Subtraction Game
Practise using the jump strategy for subtraction from 20 with an exciting pirate-themed maths game.
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Ten is a Match! - Memory-Style Game
Practise matching rainbow facts, or two numbers that add up to 10, with this set of 24 number cards.
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Using Tape Diagrams to Find the Whole From a Percentage – Worksheet
Calculate the whole from a percentage using tape diagrams with this worksheet.