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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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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Subitising Dice - Numbers 1 to 9
Practise subitising to 9 with your students using this versatile set of dice flashcards.
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Subitising “Construct-a-City” Activity
Utilise this hands-on subitising activity to help your students learn to subitise to 5 and beyond.
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Subitising to 10 Worksheet
Practise subitising to 10 with your students using this printable worksheet set.
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Subitising Games — Leapfrog!
Play this subitising game in your classroom to help your students practise subitising small collections.
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Cover Up! — Subitising Numbers Game
Use this subitising game to help your students instantly recognise the numbers 1 - 6.
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Recognising Numbers 0 — 20 BINGO Game
Help your students identify numbers 0 - 20 with this printable Bingo game!
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Alien-Themed Counting Worksheet
Use these alien-themed counting worksheets to help your students count quantities between 1 and 10.
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Hickory Dickory Dock – Nursery Rhyme Poster
Use this “Hickory Dickory Dock” nursery rhyme poster to teach your youngest students about rhyme, rhythm and counting.
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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 Picture Puzzle Numbers 1-5
Practise counting objects within 5 and matching groups to numbers through this 15-piece camping scene picture puzzle
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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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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 Cookies Sorting Activity
Practise counting to 10 with various representations with this cookie sorting activity.
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Counting to 10 Interactive Activity
Practise counting to 10 with this fun and engaging interactive activity.
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Build a City Counting Game
Build towers consisting of numbers up to 10 with this fun build a city game.
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I Can Count to 10 Mini Book
Practise counting small objects up to 10 with this student counting mini book.
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Counting Objects Sort Numbers 1-5
Practise counting 1 – 5 objects with this colorful sorting activity.
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Counting Watermelon Seeds Task Cards
Practise counting with this set of watermelon-themed counting task cards.
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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 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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Bugs in a Jar Counting Activity
Practise counting to 20 with this engaging and hands-on bugs in a jar activity set.
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Counting Objects Dominoes Numbers 11–20
Practise counting objects by matching 28 numeral and picture dominoes.
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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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Colourful Tens Frames
Print a colourful set of tens frames to enhance your small group maths lessons.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers - Tarsia Puzzle
Practise adding and subtracting integers with a printable Tarsia puzzle!
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Rounding Task Cards (Numbers to 100 000)
Use place value knowledge and vertical number lines to round numbers up through the hundred thousands place with a set of 24 task cards.
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Algebraic Expressions – Interactive Activity
Practise writing, reading and solving algebraic expressions with this set of interactive activities.
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Subitise and Exercise
Get active with this subitise and exercise teaching brain break presentation.
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100th Day Find and Colour - Numbers
Look for numbers with a 100th day of school find and colour worksheet.
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100 Days and Still Poppin! Counting to 100 Worksheet
Add to your stockpile of 100th Day of School ideas with a Pop-It-themed 100th Day of School worksheet.
- Number Sense Games
- Number Sense Worksheets
- Number Sense Posters
- Number Sense Templates
- 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