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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Ten Frame Number Posters (0-20)
Decorate your classroom with our ten frame number posters that will delight your animal-loving students while providing concrete representations of the numbers 0-20.
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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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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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Count and Graph Worksheet Pack
Explore counting and graphing skills with this set of three worksheets.
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Comparing Collections Sorting Activity
Support students in comparing quantities by providing an easy, hands‑on activity that lets them sort items and decide if they can be shared evenly.
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Subitizing Worksheets
Utilize these subitizing worksheets to help your students learn many ways to subitize to 10.
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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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Numbers in the Environment Worksheet
Practice identifying numbers in the environment with this "seek-and-find" worksheet.
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I Can Count to 5 Mini-Book
Count small objects up to 5 with this printable counting mini book.
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Counting Watermelon Seeds Task Cards
Practice counting with this set of watermelon-themed counting task cards.
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Gumball Counting Clip Cards
Practice counting gumballs and matching the numeral with what has been counted with this set of fun clip cards.
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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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Decomposing Numbers – Word Problem Worksheet
Challenge students to decompose numbers presented in a word problem by rearranging the parts and showing different combinations.
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Kindergarten Ten Frame Activities — Spring Task Cards
Use our kindergarten ten frame activities to step up your students’ number recognition, counting, and subitizing skills.
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Subitize This! – Lesson Warm-up
Use this subitizing slide deck as a quick warm-up before your lessons.
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Counting Objects Board Game - Numbers 1-5
Practice basic math skills with a counting objects board game.
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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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Search and Find – Food Edition
A fun, search and find counting activity
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Representations of Numbers 1-20 Flashcards
Practice representations of numbers 1 - 20 in your classroom with this versatile set of flashcards.
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1 to 20 Parking Lot Number Match
A parking lot themed number matching activity to use in the classroom when identifying the numbers from 1 to 20 in word and standard form.
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Hundreds Chart - Black and White Version
A black and white hundreds chart that can be used in a variety of ways.
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Counting On and Counting Back Worksheets
Practice adding and subracting with this counting on and counting back worksheet pack.
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Counting Numbers 0-20 Teaching Slides
Explore counting numbers as students learn to name, represent, and order numbers with a ready‑made teaching slide deck.
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Counting and Ordering Numbers Worksheet Pack
Support counting and ordering numbers with this handy worksheet pack that helps students build early numeracy skills quickly and confidently.
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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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Halloween Connect the Dots Worksheets (1-50)
Practice counting up to 50 with a set of fun Halloween Connect the Dots worksheets.
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F is for Fire - Letter F Worksheet Pack
Help your PK and K students learn the letter F with 'F is for Fire' Letter F worksheets, which focus on phonetic sounds, handwriting, and activities for early math and literacy.
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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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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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Counting Birthday Candles Activity
“Gift” this counting birthday candles activity to your students for hands-on counting and number representation practice.
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Counting 1-20 Number Game
Practice counting from 1-20 with this fun alien-themed counting game.
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Counting to 10 Match-Up Activity
Practice counting to 10 with this set of twenty object and number matching cards.