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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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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Thousands Place Value Number Expander Template
Explore expanding 4 digit numbers with your students using this number expander template.
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Hundreds Place Value Number Expander Template
A resource to help reinforce place value and writing 3-digit numbers in expanded form.
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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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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.
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Place Value Penguin - Spreadsheet Pixel Art Activity
Practice identifying numbers in word form, expanded form, and standard form with a fun spreadsheet pixel art activity.
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Number, Word, and Base Ten Forms - St. Patrick's Day Activity
Have some fun matching number, word, and base-ten forms with a fun St. Patrick's Day activity.
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Place Value Chart – Printable Banner
Use this printable place value chart filled with different ways to represent a number in your classroom.
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Valentine's Day - Number Form Match-Up
Identify three-digit numbers in standard form, word form, expanded form, and in base-ten form with a printable Valentine’s Day Math activity.
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Expanded Form Dominoes (2-Digit Numbers)
Use this set of dominoes when learning how to match 2-digit numbers written in standard form and expanded form.
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Expanded Form Dominoes (3-Digit Numbers)
Use this set of dominoes when learning how to match 3-digit numbers written in standard form and expanded form.
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Expanded Form 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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Three and Four-Digit Place Value Memory Game
Practice matching numbers in standard form, expanded form, and word form with this memory-style place value game.
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Place Value Worksheets (Platypus Theme)
Practice writing numbers in standard form, expanded form, and word form with this differentiated worksheet.
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Building Two-Digit Numbers - Dice Activity
A fun way to explore the use of base ten blocks to build two-digit numbers.
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Base-10 Flashcards - Numbers 1–120
A set of Base-10 flashcards for the numbers 1–120.
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How to Write 2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Explore how to represent number values in standard form, word form, expanded form, and picture form with this multipurpose place value worksheet.
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Number Talks - Number Sense Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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Expanded Notation Puzzles - Whole Numbers
Practice whole number expanded notation with this 28-piece matching puzzle.
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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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Number Talks - Near, Far, and in Between Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
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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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3-Digit Number Forms Worksheet
Help students practice their knowledge of 3-digit numbers with this place value worksheet that covers base ten blocks, standard form, and expanded form.
- 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