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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Crazy Creatures – Counting Worksheet
Bring a bit of (not-so) spooky counting into kindergarten with a crazy creatures Halloween activity.
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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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I Can Count to 5 Mini-Book
Count small objects up to 5 with this printable counting mini book.
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Halloween Counting to 10 Worksheets – Kindergarten
Count, write, and match numbers and objects with printable Halloween counting worksheets.
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Tracing Numbers 0-20
Practice writing numbers 0–20 with this tracing activity.
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0-20 Number Matching Game
Match different representations of numbers 0 to 20.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Subitizing Assessment Pack
Utilize our Subitizing Assessment Pack to test your students' ability to subitize quantities up to 10.
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Halloween Number-Word Matching Worksheet
Match numbers and number words with a pack of Halloween printable math worksheets for kindergarten.
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Halloween Math Worksheets - Spooky Ten Frames
Model numbers to twenty using ten frames with a spooky Halloween math worksheet for kindergarten.
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Halloween Tracing Numbers Worksheets
Trace and write numbers to twenty with a set of spooky Halloween tracing numbers worksheets.
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Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Task Cards
Practice identifying numbers 1-100 with this set of 32 mystery picture task cards.
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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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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 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.
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Subitizing Bingo Games (Numbers 1 - 10)
Play these subitizing bingo games in your small groups to give your students practice subitizing numbers up to 10.
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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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Subitizing Card Game
Utilize this subitizing card game to reinforce number recognition and subitizing skills with some friendly competition!
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Ten Frame Activities — Monster Teeth
Delight your students with this ten frame printable activity. This resource reinforces number recognition by inviting them to add teeth to monster-themed ten frames.
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Fire Truck Printable Math Worksheets (PK-K)
Build number and 2D shape identification skills with our Fire Truck Printable Math Worksheets for Pre-K and Kindergarten.
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Alien-Themed Counting Worksheet
Use these alien-themed counting worksheets to help your students count quantities between 1 and 10.
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Monster Counting Mats Numbers 1-10
Count monster eyes up to 10 with this fun counting activity for the early years classroom.
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Counting to 10 Interactive Activity
Practice counting to 10 with this fun and engaging interactive activity.
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Counting to 20 Cut and Paste Worksheet
Count objects within 20 and match the total to its written number on this 2-page cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Count and Graph Worksheet Pack
Explore counting and graphing skills with this set of three worksheets.