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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Ten Frame - Printable Templates
Print a set of 10 blank ten frames to use in various math lessons.
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Subitize and Color – Worksheet
Practice subitizing to five with this color-by-number worksheet.
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1 to 9 Number Sequencing Activity - Dog Template
A fun dog-themed number sequencing activity.
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Counting Clip Cards - Dinosaurs
Practice counting objects with a set of 18 dinosaur-themed counting clip cards.
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Subitizing Sorting Activity
Practice recognizing the quantity of a small group of objects with this subitizing sorting activity.
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Counting Objects Sort - Numbers 6-10
Practice counting 6 – 10 objects with this colorful sorting activity.
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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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Four in a Row - Numbers 6-10
Match picture cards with numerals to practice counting to 10.
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Search and Find – Food Edition
A fun, search and find counting activity
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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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I Can Count to 10! – Mini-Book
A mini-book that allows students to count small numbers of objects.
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My Mini Number Book – 13
A little book of activities for the number 13.
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My Mini Number Book – 12
A little book of activities for the number 12.
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My Mini Number Book – 11
A little book of activities for the number 11.
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Number Talks - Subitizing Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 30 subitizing task cards.
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Seeing Double Scavenger Hunt - Beginning of Year Activity
A scavenger hunt to use at the beginning of the school year.
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Numbers 0 to 20 Handwriting - Worksheet
Activity worksheets to use in the classroom when learning about the numbers 0 to 20.
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Subitizing Leapfrog Game
A fun game for students to play when learning to subitize numbers from 1 to 6.
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Jungle Number Hunt – Identifying Numbers 1–9
A fun way for students to practice identifying the digits 1 to 9.
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Number Word Search with Solution - 3
A number search to help your students to learn place value.
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Number Ring Activity (1-20)
A number matchup activity to practice numbers 1-20.
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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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Numbers 1-30 Posters - Tallies, Tens Frames, and Base-10 Blocks
Posters showing numbers 1-30 with associated images.
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Numbers 1–20 Dominoes
A set of dominoes to practice identifying the numbers 0–20 in standard and word form.
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Subitizing Dice - Numbers 1 to 9
Subitizing is the process of immediately recognizing how many items are in a small group.
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Subitizing Small Collections PowerPoint
An interactive, 34-slide editable PowerPoint presentation to use when teaching students to subitize.
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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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Christmas Math Puzzle - Counting to 10
Count groups up to 10 with a printable Christmas math puzzle.
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Thanksgiving Color-By-Number for Kindergarten - Counting
Count sets of objects up to ten with a printable Thanksgiving Color by Number Worksheet for Kindergarten.
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Halloween Counting to 10 Worksheets
Count, write, and match numbers and objects with printable Halloween counting worksheets.
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Counting Clip Cards - Fire Safety
Practice counting objects with a set of 18 fire-themed counting clip cards.
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Halloween Number-Word Matching Worksheet
Match numbers and number words with a pack of Halloween printable math worksheets for kindergarten.