What is Number Sense
Number Sense means truly understanding what numbers are, how they work, and how they connect to everyday life. When you have good number sense you can count easily forward and backward, you know what each digit means, you can compare numbers, you can spot patterns, and you can quickly estimate answers when you need them. Number Sense is the first step in becoming confident at math. It is like building a strong foundation for a house. Once you have it everything else becomes easier.
Why Number Sense is Useful
You use Number Sense every day without even thinking about it. If you look at the time, count your allowance, compare scores in a game, or figure out if you have enough money to buy something you are using Number Sense. It helps you understand when numbers are big or small, when they are close together or far apart, and how they change when you add or take away.
What You Will Learn in Number Sense
In this section you will learn to:
- Count numbers forward and backward
- Skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s
- Understand what place value means
- Compare numbers to find greater or smaller
- Identify odd and even numbers
- Round numbers to the nearest ten
- Spot and complete number patterns
Each of these skills helps you understand numbers better and feel more comfortable solving problems.
Counting
Counting is the first step to understanding numbers. When you count forward you say numbers in order from smallest to biggest. When you count backward you do the opposite. You can count by ones or you can skip count by 2s, 5s, or 10s to get to a number faster.
For example if you are counting coins you might skip count by 10s if you have 10 cent coins. If you are counting pairs of shoes you might count by 2s. Counting backward is useful when you want to know how much is left or how many more you need.
Counting Practice
- Count forward by ones from 1 to 20
- Count forward from 45 to 55
- Count forward from 60 to 80
- Write the numbers that come before 35 down to 25
- Count backward from 50 to 35
- Count backward from 100 to 90
- Skip count by 2s from 0 to 20
- Skip count by 5s from 5 to 50
- Skip count by 10s from 20 to 100
- Skip count backward by 2s from 20 to 0
Place Value
Place value means each digit in a number has its own worth depending on where it is. The number 42 means 4 tens and 2 ones. In 123 the 1 is in the hundreds place, the 2 is in the tens place, and the 3 is in the ones place.
Knowing place value helps you break big numbers into parts that are easier to understand. It also helps you add and subtract numbers more easily.
Place Value Practice
- What is the value of the 4 in 47
- What is the value of the 6 in 62
- What digit is in the tens place in 134
- What digit is in the ones place in 87
- What digit is in the hundreds place in 312
- Write the number that has 7 tens and 5 ones
- Write the number that has 4 hundreds, 0 tens, and 9 ones
- Expand the number 125 into hundreds, tens, and ones
- Expand the number 248 into hundreds, tens, and ones
- Write the value of the 5 in 563
Comparing Numbers
Comparing numbers helps you see which number is greater or smaller. You do this all the time. For example if you have 60 candies and your friend has 70 you know 70 is more than 60. You can also put numbers in order from smallest to biggest or biggest to smallest.
Comparing numbers helps you make smart choices in real life like deciding who is winning in a game or which price is better when shopping.
Comparing Numbers Practice
- Circle the greater number 56 or 63
- Circle the smaller number 75 or 69
- Which number is bigger 92 or 89
- Which number is smaller 45 or 50
- Write these numbers in order from smallest to largest 23, 37, 19, 42
- Write these numbers in order from largest to smallest 85, 97, 72, 68
- Compare these numbers and write greater than or less than 57 ___ 62
- Compare these numbers and write greater than or less than 94 ___ 98
- Is 78 greater than or less than 75
- Which is greater 50 or 55
Odd and Even Numbers
Every number is either odd or even. Even numbers can be divided into two equal groups. Odd numbers always have one left over. For example 4 is even because you can split it into 2 and 2. 5 is odd because when you split it into 2 and 2 you still have 1 left over.
Knowing odd and even numbers helps you check your work and spot patterns.
Odd and Even Practice
- Is 12 odd or even
- Is 19 odd or even
- Is 34 odd or even
- Is 49 odd or even
- Write three odd numbers between 20 and 30
- Write four even numbers between 10 and 20
- Which is odd 31 or 32
- Which is even 25 or 26
- Circle all the odd numbers 11, 12, 13, 14
- Circle all the even numbers 21, 22, 23, 24
Rounding Numbers
Rounding numbers helps you estimate or get a quick answer without needing the exact number. If you round 47 to the nearest ten you get 50. If you round 43 to the nearest ten you get 40. Look at the ones place. If the ones place is 5 or more you round up. If it is 4 or less you round down.
Rounding is helpful when you want to check your work or when you go shopping and want to guess the total quickly.
Rounding Numbers Practice
- Round 23 to the nearest ten
- Round 37 to the nearest ten
- Round 64 to the nearest ten
- Round 89 to the nearest ten
- Round 55 to the nearest ten
- A number is 48 round it to the nearest ten
- A number is 73 round it to the nearest ten
- Round 96 to the nearest ten
- Round 69 to the nearest ten
- Round 112 to the nearest ten
Number Patterns
Number patterns help you see how numbers grow and change. You might see a pattern like counting by 2s or 5s or 10s. Some patterns go up and some go down. Spotting patterns makes it easier to predict what comes next and helps you solve harder math problems in the future.
Number Patterns Practice
- What comes next 2, 4, 6, 8, ___, ___
- What comes next 5, 10, 15, 20, ___, ___
- What comes next 3, 6, 9, 12, ___, ___
- Fill in the missing numbers 10, ___, 30, ___, 50
- Fill in the missing numbers 25, ___, 35, ___, 45
- What comes next 1, 3, 5, 7, ___, ___
- What comes next 0, 5, 10, 15, ___, ___
- Continue this pattern 40, 35, 30, 25, ___, ___
- Continue this pattern 55, 60, 65, 70, ___, ___
- Continue this pattern 100, 90, 80, ___, ___