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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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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Firetruck Color By Number Worksheet
Build number identification skills with a printable Firetruck Color by Number Worksheet.
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Tracing Numbers 0-10
A worksheet to assist students when learning how to write the numbers 0–10.
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Tracing Numbers 0-20
Practice writing numbers 0–20 with this tracing activity.
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Printable Ten Frames (Single and Double)
Introduce these printable ten frames to your students to promote number sense with hands-on learning.
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0-9 Digit Cards
A set of 0-9 digit cards to be used for numeracy games in the classroom.
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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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I Can Count to 5 Mini-Book
Count small objects up to 5 with this printable counting mini book.
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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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Count and Graph Worksheet Pack
Explore counting and graphing skills with this set of three worksheets.
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Counting Up to 20 Zoo Animals Worksheet Pack
Count the different animal groups on this set of three worksheets perfect for practicing fundamental counting skills.
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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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Base Ten Block Matching Cards (Numbers 1 - 120)
Connect base ten block representations with numerals with these multi-use matching cards.
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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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Roll, Count, and Cover - Dot Day Activities
Build fine motor skills and counting skills with a set of printable Roll, Count, and Color Dot Day Activities.
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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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0–30 in Numbers and Words - Posters
Posters showing 0–30 in standard and word form.
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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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Animal-Themed Number Posters (0-10)
Use our Printable Animal-Themed Number Posters to help your students build their number recognition skills.
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Counting 1-12 Number Game
Practice counting from 1-12 with this fun alien-themed counting game.
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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 0-5 Color-by-Number Pack
Practice number recognition with this color-by-number activity pack! Students color varied representations of the numbers 0-5 to solidify their understanding.
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Make a Pizza Counting Game
Use this pizza-themed counting game to get your students matching numerals with their corresponding quantities.
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I Can Count To Ten – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Use this set of counting worksheets to help your students sequence numbers from 0 to 10.
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Ten Frame Matching Game
Use this ten frame game to strengthen your students’ number sense and foundational math skills.
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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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Spring "Numberpillars" — Kindergarten Math Center Activity
Match numbers 1-10 with their various visual representations to build a fun mathematical caterpillar!
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100th Day of School Dice Games - Roll to 100 Challenge
Roll your way through the 100th Day with dice games for kids.
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Numbers 1-10 Bug Matching Game
Help students learn to represent numbers 1-10 in picture, word and number form.
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Writing Numbers 0-10 - Poster
A poster for students to reference when learning how to write the numbers 0–10.