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 elementary teachers!
Bring these essential maths skills to life with the help of Common Core and TEKS math 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 recognize 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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Missing Numbers in Expanded Form Worksheet
Practice converting double digit numbers into their expanded form with this easy to use student worksheet.
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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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Reading and Writing Double Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Get students practicing their knowledge of converting standard form numbers to expanded form with this engaging interactive activity.
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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 math groups.
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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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Reading and Writing Double Digit Numbers Flipbook
Engage students in learning to read and write double digit numbers with this flipbook.
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Reading and Writing 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice converting expanded form numbers into their standard form with this worksheet.
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Two-Digit Expanded Form Race-Themed Worksheet
Race through identifying the standard form of 2-digit numbers in expanded form with this fun race-themed worksheet.
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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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Thanksgiving Place Value for 2nd Grade - Interactive
Review 2 and 3-digit place value concepts with an interactive Thanksgiving Math Activity.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Hide! - Place Value Worksheet
Save the Thanksgiving Turkeys and practice modeling numbers in base ten with a printable Thanksgiving Math Worksheet
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Place Value Paper Turkey Craft
Make a flock of silly turkey crafts and review place value concepts with a printable Place Value Turkey Template!
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Expanded Form Match Up Puzzles
Practice matching standard numbers to their expanded form with your students using this fun, hands-on number puzzle.
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Expanded Form Interactive Task Cards
Explore expanding numbers with your students using these interactive task cards, reviewing numbers in expanded form and place value charts.
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Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practice expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
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Expanded Form Task Cards
Help your students explore expanding numbers up to 6-digits with this set of task cards.
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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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Decomposing 3-Digit Numbers Matching Activity
Help children decompose 3-digit numbers by identifying the place value of hundreds, tens, and ones with this matching activity.
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Number of the Day Worksheet
Explore 4, 5, and 6-digit numbers using this number of the day worksheet with your students.
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3-Digit Place Value Mini-Book
Explore place value in 3-digit numbers with this place value mini-book.
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3-Digit Place Value Cover Up Game
Engage students in understanding place value to the hundreds with this place value card game.
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Writing Numbers in Expanded Form Interactive Activity
Help students master reading and writing numbers up to 6 digits with this expanded form 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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Roll and Expand Numbers Worksheet Pack
Explore place value with your students using this set of leveled expanding numbers worksheets.
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Thousands Place Value Number Expander Template
Explore expanding 4 digit numbers with your students using this number expander template.
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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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Base-10 Blocks - Pictorial Model Cards
A set of base-10 block cards to compose and decompose numbers, including decimals.
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2-Digit Number of the Day - Spiral Review
Review a variety of second-grade math concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Exploring 2-Digit Place Value - Teaching Slides
Explore 2-digit numbers using place value strategies with an interactive teaching presentation.
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Tens and Ones 2-Digit Place Value Mat
Build two-digit numbers and improve place value skills with a printable tens and ones math mat.
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2-Digit Place Value Game - Interactive Slide Deck
Review various first- and second-grade place value concepts with an interactive daily place value warmup.
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Place Value Cacti - 3-Digit Expanded Form Activity
A fun place value activity for students to play in the classroom when exploring 3-digit numbers and expanded forms.
- Reading and Writing Numbers Worksheets
- Reading and Writing Numbers Games
- Reading and Writing Numbers Templates
- Reading and Writing Numbers for Kindergarten
- Reading and Writing Numbers for 1st Grade
- Reading and Writing Numbers for 2nd Grade
- Reading and Writing Numbers for 3rd Grade
- Reading and Writing Numbers for 4th Grade