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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Color by Number - Numbers 0–9
A color by number activity for students to practice number recognition.
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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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Counting to 10 Match-Up Activity
Practice counting to 10 with this set of twenty object and number matching cards.
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Counting Picture Puzzle - Numbers 6-10
Practice counting 6 to 10 objects and matching groups to numbers through this 15-piece picnic scene picture puzzle
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Sequencing Activities — Numbers 1 - 9 Sausage Dog
Use our sequencing activities like this sausage dog to help your students practice ordering the numbers 1 - 9.
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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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Number Word Search Puzzles
Assign these number word search puzzles to your students to give them practice identifying the word form of the numbers 0 through 20.
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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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Subitizing Card Game
Utilize this subitizing card game to reinforce number recognition and subitizing skills with some friendly competition!
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Counting to 20 Match-Up Cards
Count objects up to 20 with our match-up card game.
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Counting 1-20 Worksheet Pack
Practice counting to 20 with this set of worksheets ready to go!
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Ice Cream Counting Game
Help students practice their knowledge of counting numbers 1-20 with this fun ice cream matching game.
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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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Search and Find – Back to School
Start the school year with a fun Back to School math activity for first graders.
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Number Talks - Ten Frame Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 30 ten and double ten frame math talk task cards.
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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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Thanksgiving Math Center - Counting Objects to 20
Practice one-to-one correspondence up to 20 with this set of 20 fall-themed task cards.
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Counting Clip Cards - Columbus Day
Practice counting objects with a Columbus Day math activity.
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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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Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Task Cards
Practice identifying numbers 1-100 with this set of 32 mystery picture task cards.
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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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Color By Numbers - Underwater Scene
A fun way to practice recognizing the digits 1–8.
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Numbers 1–30: Standard, Word, and Ten Frame Matchup Cards
A set of matchup cards to practice representing the numbers 1–30.
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10-20 Digit Cards
A set of flashcards, including the numbers 10-20, to be used when teaching numbers and place value.
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Alien Eyes - Number Game
A number game to help students with number identification (1–12) and counting small quantities.
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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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Base Ten Block Matching Cards (Random Numbers 100 - 1,000)
Use these base ten block matching cards to help your students practice number recognition and place value skills for numbers through 1,000.
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Kindergarten Math Flip Book (Ordering Numbers)
Delight your students with this math flip book that will help them solidify their understanding of counting and ordering the numbers 1 through 20.
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Subitizing Worksheets for Kindergarten
Incorporate these subitizing worksheets for kindergarten into your lessons to give your students practice subitizing collections up to 12.
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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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Subitizing Mazes (Numbers 1 - 10)
Solve our subitizing mazes to have fun practicing subitizing quantities up to 10!