Number Sense Teaching Resources
Browse printable worksheets, hands-on math center activities and more teaching resources designed to teach number sense in the elementary classroom.
Developing number sense is an important building block for elementary math students and unlocks a deeper understanding of numbers and their relationships. Aligned with Common Core, each worksheet, game and century activity was created by teachers with teachers — and students — in mind to help build those 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 math 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 memorization of algorithms, but rather a deep understanding of the underlying concepts and relationships between numbers.
When Does Number Sense Develop?
There is no one grade level when we're teaching students number sense — instead, it continues to develop and become more sophisticated as students progress through elementary school.
Research suggests that babies as young as 6 months old can distinguish between small and large numbers of objects, and by preschool, 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 elementary school as students become more adept at recognizing and using numbers to solve problems, and it continues into high school and — for many students — into college.
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 Recognize 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 Mental Math — Students with number sense can use mental math 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 Subitize Numbers — Students can use visual clustering skills to instantly recognize 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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Valentine's Day Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures
Follow the color-coded number guides to fill in the hundreds chart square and reveal 9 special Valentine’s Day images.
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Number Recognition Assessment Pack
Utilize this Number Recognition Assessment Pack to evaluate your students’ progress in recognizing the numbers 0 through 120.
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Number Recognition Worksheet Pack
Use this collection of number recognition worksheets to help your students practice recognizing the numbers 0 through 20 in many forms.
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Number Handwriting Practice Worksheets
Provide number handwriting practice to your students with this set of worksheets for the numbers 0 through 20.
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0-9 Digit Cards
A set of 0-9 digit cards to be used for numeracy games in the classroom.
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Ten Frame Printable Templates
Use these printable ten frames in various math lessons to reinforce number sense and other essential skills.
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Subitizing Assessment Pack
Utilize our Subitizing Assessment Pack to test your students' ability to subitize quantities up to 10.
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100 Grid Color by Number — 100th Day of School Activities Pack
Follow the color-coded number guides to fill in the hundreds chart square and reveal 3 special 100th Day of School mystery pictures.
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6-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 6-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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Tracing Numbers 0-10
A worksheet to assist students when learning how to write the numbers 0–10.
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Hickory Dickory Dock – Nursery Rhyme Poster and PowerPoint
Use this “Hickory Dickory Dock” nursery rhyme poster and PowerPoint to teach your youngest students about rhyme, rhythm and counting.
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Math Bulletin Board Activities - Display Pack
Implement daily math review easily using our Math Bulletin Board Activities Display.
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Count and Graph Worksheet Pack
Explore counting and graphing skills with this set of three worksheets.
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I Can Draw 100 Shapes Worksheet — 100th Day Activity
Celebrate the 100th Day of School in the classroom with printable 100th Day of School Math worksheets.
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Frog and Flies Match-Up Activity (Counting to 12)
Practice counting numbers 1 to 12 with this fun frog and fly match-up activity.
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Kindergarten Counting 1-20 Matching Game
Use this matching game in your primary classroom to teach students to count quantities and match them to numbers (1-20).
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Subitizing Activity — Clip Cards (Numbers 1 - 10)
Share this subitizing activity with your students to give them hands-on practice subitizing to 10.
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Number Recognition Printable Dot Maze Pack
Utilize these number recognition printable worksheets to help your students identify the numbers 1 through 20.
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Aliens in a Spaceship Counting and Subitizing Game
Download a fun, hands-on game for teaching kids to count and use one-to-one correspondence or to subitize.
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Roll & Cover Counting Printables for Kindergarten
Build fine motor skills and counting skills with a set of printable Roll and Cover Counting Printables for Kindergarten.
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Valentine's Day Math - Counting to 20 Task Cards
Practice numbers 1 to 20 with a set of printable Valentine’s Day task cards created by teachers for teachers.
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Rolling to 100 Board Game
Practice counting to 100 by 1's with this interactive hundreds chart board game for multiple players.
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Numbers, Words, and Tallies Up to 20 - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to practice representing number 1–20 using numbers, words, and tally marks.
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Free Counting From 1 to 10 Activity — Hands And Numbers Template
Teach counting from 1 to 10 and one-to-one correspondence with a creative (and free) printable activity for preschool, kindergarten, or 1st grade.
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Subitizing to 10 Interactive Task Cards
Practice subitizing to 10 with these varied and engaging interactive task cards.
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Subitizing "Construct-a-City" Activity
Help your students subitize to 5 and beyond with this hands-on subitizing activity for kindergarten.
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Subitizing Small Collections Teaching Slides
Teach your students to subitize with this editable set of Google teaching slides.
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Numbers in the Environment Worksheet
Practice identifying numbers in the environment with this "seek-and-find" worksheet.
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Number Recognition Worksheets — Numbers 1 - 20
Use these number recognition worksheets to help your students master a variety of math skills for the numbers 1 through 20.
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Number Recognition 0-5 Color-by-Number Pack
Practice number recognition with this color-by-number activity pack! Students color varied representations of the numbers 0-5 to solidify their understanding.
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Paralympic Games Count and Color Worksheets
Count and tally Paralympic icons with our engaging I Spy Worksheets, perfect for enhancing your students' observation and counting skills.
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I Can Count To Ten – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Use this set of counting worksheets to help your students sequence numbers from 0 to 10.