Reading and Writing Numbers Teaching Resources
Teach students how to read and write numbers in a variety of forms with this extensive collection of printable worksheets, digital activities and more resources for Australian primary teachers!
Bring these essential maths skills to life with the help of Australian maths curriculum-aligned resources that have been created with your lesson plans — and your students — in mind! Best of all, each resource has undergone a careful review process by an expert teacher on the Teach Starter team to ensure it's classroom-ready.
Looking for tips to help your students express quantities accurately and effectively? Read on for a primer from our teacher team on reading and writing numbers, how to teach these concepts and more!
Teaching Students How to Read Numbers
Before we can talk about writing numbers, we need to to set the foundation with reading them.
Once students can recognise numerals, it's typical for teachers to dive deep into place value. We want our students to understand that each digit's position in a number represents a different value (e.g., tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.).
With that comes the ability to read two- and three-digit numbers (and later even larger whole numbers!) as our students come to understand that they're not seeing two distinct numerals side-by-side but a brand-new number that has been formed.
This requires learning new language too — words like twenty, thirty, forty, etc.
So let's break down how to read a few numbers!
Reading Two-Digit Numbers
In a two-digit number, the leftmost digit represents the number of tens, and the rightmost digit represents the number of ones. For example, let's look at the number 35.
-
- The digit 3 is in the tens place, so it represents 3 tens or 30.
- The digit 5 is in the ones place, so it represents 5 ones.
To read the number 35, you say 'thirty-five.'
Here are a few more examples of how to read two-digit numbers:
- 45 — forty-five
- 27 — twenty-seven
- 93 — ninety-three
Reading Three-Digit Numbers
Let's go one level up. In a three-digit whole number, the leftmost digit represents the number of hundreds, the middle digit represents the number of tens and the rightmost digit represents the number of ones. For example, let's look at the number 371.
-
- The digit 3 is in the hundreds place, so it represents 3 hundreds or 300.
- The digit 7 is in the tens place, so it represents 7 tens or 70.
- The digit 1 is in the ones place, so it represents 1 one.
To read the number 371, you say 'three hundred seventy-one.'
Here are a few more examples of how to read three-digit numbers:
- 134 — one hundred thirty-four
- 469 — four hundred sixty-nine
- 873 — eight hundred seventy-three
Teaching Students How to Write Numbers
Now that students can read multi-digit numbers, we can start talking about writing them in different forms, including expanded form. Writing numbers again comes back to place value, with each digit in a number representing a different value based on its position within the number.
Here's what that looks like:
How to Write Two-Digit Numbers
Write the digit in the tens place first. This will be the leftmost digit in the two-digit number.
Next, write the digit in the ones place to the right of the first number.
For example, to write the number 'thirty-five,' you would:
- Write the digit 3 in the tens place.
- Write the digit 5 in the ones place.
- In the end, you have written 35.
How to Write Three-Digit Numbers
Write the digit in the hundreds place first. This will be the leftmost digit in the three-digit number.
Next, write the digit in the tens place to the right of the first number. This will be the middle digit in the three-digit number. Finally, write the digit in the ones place to the right of the middle digit.
For example, to write the number 'three hundred fifty-two,' you would:
- Write the digit 3 in the hundreds place.
- Write the digit 5 in the tens place.
- Write the digit 2 in the ones place.
- Plus Plan
Number of the Day Worksheet
Explore 4, 5, and 6-digit numbers using this number of the day worksheet with your students.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Charts
Practise place value knowledge up to 6 digits with these blank place value charts.
- Plus Plan
Number and Place Value Worksheets - Year 2
14 number worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 4-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 31 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value to thousands.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 3-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
Explore place value concepts related to 3-digit numbers with an engaging, interactive teaching slide deck.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Bingo Game Numbers Up to 1 000 000
Practise place value knowledge in numbers up to 1 000 000 with this set of bingo cards.
- Plus Plan
4-Digit Place Value Game - Interactive Activity
Consolidate knowledge of Year 3 place value concepts with an interactive 4-Digit Place Value Game.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Roll It, Make It, Expand It! - Place Value Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about the place value of three-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? - Place Value Maths Game (5-Digit Numbers)
Use a 5-Digit Place Value Maths game to engage your students and practise identifying and reading five digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
5-Digit Place Value Warm Up - Interactive PowerPoint
An engaging 44 slide interactive PowerPoint to use when learning about place value to 5-digits.
- Plus Plan
Flip, Draw, Expand! - Place Value Worksheet (5-Digit Numbers)
A worksheet to use when consolidating understanding of place value to tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Wall Display
A place value wall display for the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Roll It, Make It, Expand It! - Place Value Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about the place value of two-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Bingo Game Numbers Up to 10 000
Practise place value knowledge in numbers up to 10 000 with this set of bingo cards.
- Plus Plan
Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practise expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Representing Two-Digit Numbers - Place Value Worksheet
A set of worksheets for students to use when learning about place value and the different way two-digit numbers can be represented.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? - Place Value Card Game (3-Digit Numbers)
Play an exciting I Have, Who Has? Place Value Game to help your students practise their skills with reading and writing three-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
Numeral Expander - Tens of Thousands
A numeral expander template to use when exploring five-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 2-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
Explore 2-digit numbers using place value strategies with an interactive teaching presentation.
- Free Plan
Flip, Draw, Expand! - Place Value Worksheet (3-Digit Numbers)
A worksheet to use when consolidating understanding of place value to hundreds.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? – Place Value Games (2-Digit Numbers)
Reinforce your students understanding of 2-digit Place Value concepts with printable Place Value Games for Year 1 students.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? 4 Digit Place Value Game
Explore numbers up to 4-digits with this fun whole class place value game of 'I have, Who Has?'
- Free Plan
Number Talks - Place Value Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
- Free Plan
4-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practise reading and writing 4-digit numbers with this printable PDF worksheet.
- Free Plan
Representing Large Numbers Worksheet
A worksheet connecting large numbers and words.
- Plus Plan
Tens and Ones - MAB Worksheet
A numeracy worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Number of the Day Warm-Up PowerPoint
Review various 2-digit maths concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Cards - 10 000, 1000, 100, 10, 1
Explore and expand 4 and 5-digit numbers with a set pf printable place value cards and suggested activities for small group instruction.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Banner - Billions to Thousandths
A banner that displays extended place value.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 3-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
- Plus Plan
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.