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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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Interactive PowerPoint - 2-Digit Place Value Game
Review various Year 1 and Year 2 place value concepts with an interactive daily place value warmup.
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Representing Large Numbers Worksheet
A worksheet connecting large numbers and words.
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Missing Numbers in Expanded Form Worksheet
Practise converting double digit numbers into their expanded form with this easy to use student worksheet.
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Place Value Cacti - 3-Digit Expanded Form Activity
Build 3-digit numbers in expanded form with a fun cactus-themed place value activity.
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Numeral Expander - Tens of Thousands
A numeral expander template to use when exploring five-digit numbers.
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2-Digit Place Value Card Game - Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of place value to hundreds.
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5-Digit Place Value - Assessment
An open-ended worksheet to use when assessing your students' knowledge of place value to the tens of thousands.
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2-Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Explore double digit numbers in a variety of different scenarios with this engaging interactive activity for your classroom.
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3-Digit Place Value Houses – Template
A hands-on resource to consolidate students' early understandings of place value.
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Expanded Notation Dominoes (4-Digit Numbers)
Use this set of dominoes when learning how to match 4-digit numbers written in standard form and expanded form.
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Reading and Writing 4-Digit Numbers Flipbook
Practise knowledge of 4-digit numbers with this engaging flipbook.
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Two-Digit Numbers Maze Worksheet
Explore two-digit numbers with this fun maze where students use clues to make their way from the start to the finish.
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Number Talks - Comparing Numbers Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Expanded Notation Poster
A poster explaining expanded notation.
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3-Digit Number Form Sorting Activity
Engage with different forms of 3-digit numbers with this sorting activity.
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2-Digit in Expanded Form Interactive Activity
Engage students in showing their knowledge of converting double digit numbers into their expanded form with this interactive activity.
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Expanded Form Poster Set
Teach students what it looks like to expand 2-digit, 3-digit, 4-digit, 5-digit and 6-digit numbers with this set of classroom posters.
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Three and Four-Digit Place Value Memory Game
Practise matching numbers in standard form, expanded form and word form with this memory-style place value game.
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Number Talks - Building Numbers Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Place Value Chart – Hundreds of Thousands
A blank place value chart to use when exploring six-digit numbers.
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4-Digit Number Digital Game
Play a game show with your students to get them practising 4-digit numbers in standard form, expanded form, plus more!
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4-Digit Pizza Interactive Activity
Use this interactive game to enhance students' proficiency in writing and representing 4-digit numbers.
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Double Digit Numbers Mystery Worksheet
Explore double digit place value with this fun clue based mystery worksheet for your students.
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Matching Expanded and Standard 2-Digit Number Cards
Explore double digit numbers in standard and expanded form with this sorting activity for your maths groups.
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Expanded Form Teaching Slides
Teach your students about how to represent numbers in expanded form with this set of engaging teaching slides.
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2-Digit and 3-Digit Expanded Form Interactive Activity
Use this interactive activity with your students to practice expanded form through to the hundreds place.
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4-Digit Expanded Form Worksheet
Help students grasp the concept of expanding 4-digit numbers up to 2,000 with this 1-page worksheet.
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2-Digit Place Value Houses – Template
A hands-on resource to consolidate students' early understandings of place value.
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Numbers and Symbols Mini Flashcards
Print a set of colourful number and symbol cards for various maths lessons.
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Counting Collections in the Hundreds PowerPoint
A 15 page editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when exploring efficient ways of counting collections in the hundreds.
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I Have Who Has Expanded Form Game
Explore numbers up to 6-digits with this fun whole class place value game of 'I have, Who Has?'
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Writing Numbers in Expanded Form Board Game
Help students practise writing numbers in expanded form with this fun and engaging gameboard and cards.