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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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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Counting 1-10 Count and Colour Worksheet Pack
Practise counting to 10 with this set of worksheets ready to go!
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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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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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Ice Cream Counting Game
Help students practise their knowledge of counting numbers 1-20 with this fun ice cream matching game.
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100 More , 100 Less Matching Game (Three-Digit Numbers)
Match 3-digit number cards to find pairs that are 100 more or 100 less of each other.
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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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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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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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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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Chick Counting Activity - Numbers 1-20
Practise recognising, counting and subitising numbers from 1-20 with this Easter-themed counting activity.
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Numbers 1 - 20 Mini Number Books Pack
Introduce the numbers 1 - 20 with these mini books full of activities that are sure to sharpen students' number recognition skills.
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Subitise This! – Lesson Warm-up
Use this subtising presentation as a quick warm-up before your lessons.
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Classroom Display for Numbers 1 - 10
Utilise this classroom display to help your students recognise multiple representations of the numbers 1 - 10.
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Counting Objects Bear Hunt – Numbers 1–10
Use one-to-one correspondence and basic counting skills with this hands-on game.
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I Have Who Has – Numbers 1–20
Practise identifying numbers 1–20 with this set of “I Have, Who Has” game cards.
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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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Race to Number 10
Practise counting and sequencing objects up to 10 with this hands-on or interactive game.
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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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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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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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Subitise Battle – Card Game
Quickly subitise and compare with this fast-paced card game.
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Counting Peg Cards – Bugs and Insects
Practice counting objects up to 10 with a set of 18 insect-themed counting clip cards.
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Counting Peg Cards – Dinosaurs
Practise counting objects with a set of 18 dinosaur-themed counting peg cards.
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100 Alphabet Letters
Practise counting to 100 by 1’s with upper and lowercase alphabet cards and blank 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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Representations of Numbers 1-20 Flashcards
Practise representations of numbers 1 - 20 in your classroom with this versatile set of flashcards.