Number Words and
Numerals
December PD
Number Words and Numerals
• Developing facility with number word sequences and learning to name numerals
constitute important aspects of early numeracy.
• These topics are deserving of a renewed emphasis.
• Names of Numbers (number words)
• Symbols for numbers (numerals)
• Ideas or concepts: ex: six-ness (Numbers)
• The ten basic symbols in the numeration system (digits)
Number Word Sequences FNWS & BNWS
• Number Word Sequences are the sequences of words that
represents the counting order, both forward and backward.
• Children come in with a range of ability to say the words in the
correct sequence.
• It is very common to have children able to count to 30 forward,
and not even be able to count backward from 10 correctly.
Number Word After and Number Word Before
• This is an important facility with number words.
• Being able to say one or two words after or before a given word.
• Ex: What number comes after eight?
• Some children can answer right away, others can’t answer at all, and others
may have to get a “running start” which means they may have to count
from one to figure out what comes after 8.
• This learning is considered very important because it is the basis for the
development of what are called “early arithmetical strategies” – the first
strategies that children use in additive and subtractive situations.
Learning about Numerals 1-10
• A) identify numerals
• B) write numerals
• C) recognize numerals and to learn about numeral sequences
• The learning of numerals 1-10 comes from frequent association of the
numeral and its name.
• Activities with the numerals individually or with the numeral
sequence 1-10.
• At this early stage, children may often confuse numerals and letters.
Learning about Numerals 11-20
• Children can and should learn about these numerals in much the same way as
they learned about 1-10.
• Frequent association of the numeral and its name
• Activities with numerals individually or in numeral sequence
• Why it is difficult:
• Their understanding of 1-10 is strong at this point and that actually interacts negatively with
their emerging knowledge of teen numbers.
• The names of the teen numbers are such that they cause difficulties for children learning to
associate these names with numerals.
• Children can and should become skillful at associating number words with numerals in the
teens, that is, naming numerals in the teens, long before they understand that the left hand
digit (1) in each of the numerals from 11 to 19 indicates or stands for the number ten.
Learning about Numerals 20-99
• Similar to teen numbers, children can and should should become
skillful at associating number words with numerals from 20-99 long
before they understand the meaning of each of the digits.
• Learning place value is complex and should be learned much later
than when children first learn to name these numerals.
• These are basically “sight words” of math!
Learning about Three-digit Numerals
• There is a regular system to the way one deals with the left-hand digit. In all
cases, the numeral is read by simply saying the numeral in the first position
with the word hundred and then reading the two-digit numeral that is left. Ex:
476 (read 4 with the word hundred … four hundred then read the 76 so four
hundred seventy-six). No variations, this remains consistent for every 3-digit
numeral.
• For children who have a sound knowledge of numerals and number words in the
range 1 to 100 can be taught the names of 3-digit numerals with relative ease.
• Should learn the names long before they know in detail about the place value
features of 3-digit numerals.
A little background…
• In most other countries, the children learn the number word
system before they learn the numeral system.
• This means that they learn the spoken sequence of number
words before they learn the sequence of numerals.
• This is why our children often confuse 12 for 21, 18 for 81, etc.
Our children learn to say 16 for example and when they go to
write it, they hear the 6 first so they write it first. They have
seen/written number words and numerals in connection with
each other and it is hard for them to then separate it.
ACTIVITIES TO HELP DEVELOP NUMBER WORDS
AND NUMERALS
Count Around
• Stand in a circle and count around, each child saying the next
number in the sequence.
• Variations
• Start at 1 and the 12th (or any number you choose) person sits down. The next
child starts at one until they get to 12 again and that person sits down until only
one is standing.
• Start at any number you choose or a child chooses and go all the way around
until you feel they are done.
• Extend to crossing decuples (10, 20, 30, etc)
• Use shorter or longer sequences
• Extend to backward number sequence
• Teachers: ask questions such as; Who will sit down next? Who will say 5?
Who will be left standing?
Numbers on the Line
• You will need rope or string, clothespins or pegs, and numeral cards.
• Put 1-3 reference point numerals. This does not need to be the beginning, middle,
and end of the sequence.
• Place a set of numeral cards face down (shuffled so they are not in the correct
numeral sequence). You choose the range you would like to work with each time.
• Have a child pull one card and place it where is goes on the line. Continue this
until all cards are placed on the line. Kids read the sequence and ask them
questions about why certain numbers are where they are and if it is correct.
Numbers on the Line continued…
• Variations/extensions
• Read the sequence backward instead of forward.
• Extend to non-consecutive numbers (count by 2s, 5s, 10s, etc)
• Notes:
• Ask questions such as: Is it more or less than…? Will you place it to the left or
right of...? Which two numbers should it go between?
• Include vocabulary such as more, less, higher, lower, before, after, between
Counting Choir
• Divide class into three groups. The teacher begins a count such as: 21, 22,
23, 24. She then points to a group with her baton (pointer, ruler, anything
that you can point with as a “conductor” of the choir) where that group
continues the count until she points to another group who then continues
the count.
• The more advanced way to play is for one group to be counting by ones,
another by tens, and another by hundreds. As the teacher points to the
group, they have to count by whatever they were assigned. One group
might be saying 25, 26, 27, 28 while the next group might say 34, 44, 54
and the next group might say 124, 224, 324.
What Comes Next?
• You will need your numeral track
• Teacher counts and when he/she stops, the child(ren) need to shout, whisper, or
sing the next number. Start with that as a warm up.
• Write numerals on the numeral track (I do them in stickies so I can keep reusing
them). Only show a couple in a sequence and ask what would come next or
before? *The less flaps you reveal, the more difficult it is for the child. Remove
the support slowly so they have success.
Stand in Line
• You will need a set of numeral cards 1 to 30
• Give each child a numeral card (if you have 20 children, use 1 to 20).
• One child comes forward and holds up his/her card. The other children then need to look
at their cards and determine if they have the card that comes to the right or left of that
first numeral.
• Continue this until all children are in line
• Variations/extensions:
• Ask a certain student to come forward if you want a certain range focused on. Then, students will
have to work around the beginning number you chose.
• Use numerals not starting at 1. (use any range you would like)
• Build backward sequences
• Have students repeat the sequence forward and backward; eyes open and eyes shut
• Have some students turn their cards over (can children still recite the sequence?)
Secret Numbers
• You will need large numeral cards and sets of smaller cards for working in pairs.
• Provide 6 non-sequential numerals on cards; for example 17,23,28,31,42. Select two
children and give the largest number to one child and the smallest to the other.
Place these children apart (leaving enough room for the others to fit). A third child
will come take a number and keep it secret from others. He/she decides where to
stand between 17 and 42. Children have to guess what number this child is holding.
• Note:
• Start with a smaller span and make sure the children are familiar with the numerals.
• If doing in small groups, children need to record their sequence upon completion so that you know
that they placed the numerals correctly.
Can You See Me?
• You will need large numeral cards (1 to 5 or 1 to 10), a screen, and small
numeral cards.
• Cover the large numeral card with a screen…. Slowly slide the screen so that
some of the numeral is revealed as children start to guess what numeral it could
be. Move it more and more until the numeral has been guessed correctly.
• Children can be asked to get out the small numeral card they think matches the
numeral you are revealing instead of shouting out.
• Children can be asked to write the numeral in the air or hold it on their fingers
as opposed to yelling it out.
• You can move the screen from left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom
to top. Keep it interesting!
Take Your Place
• You will need two dice (or spinners) numbered 1 to 6 or 1 to 9, sets of digit cards 1
to 9. You can use 0-9 for more advanced learners if you want to work with
decuples.
• Ask a child to roll the two dice to create a 2-digit number. The child holds up the
digit cards. Another child makes a second 2-digit number. Ask the children; which
is more? Where should it go? A third child makes another 2-digit number and the
teacher asks where it should go. Which is
more/less/bigger/smaller/before/after/between…. Ask questions such as; why are
you standing in front of... Why are you between....
• If doing this in small groups, the children should have a way to record their work.
• It is important to ask probing questions that will encourage children to talk about their
understanding.
Where Do I Go? (Treasure Hunt)
• You will need 40 cards (numbers 1 to 10 in four different colors) and 4 colored circle cards.
• *** YOUR GRADE LEVEL HAS A COUPLE SETS OF THESE TO WORK WITH***
• This is a sequence game where the cards are face down (10 cards in a row) leading out
from a colored circle card. One student at a time lifts a card and determines where it
goes. When they place the card in its place, they will lift the card that was there and
hand it to the next player.
• Notes:
• Ask questions about what they notice (maybe they are noticing that all the numerals in a column are
the same). Maybe they are noticing that all the rows are the same.
• Students should read the sequence forward and/or backward. They can create it forward
and/or backward as well.
Teddy Bear Walk
• You will need Teddy Bear Walk board, a teddy bear or counter for each player.
• Players take turns to : roll a die, predict which square their teddy bear will walk to
by taking the number of steps indicated on the die, and move their teddy bear the
number of steps and check to see if their calculation was correct.
• You can use a die or spinner that has the numerals 1,2,3 on it. You could also use
1,2 only.
• To add in subtraction, when a teddy bear lands on a shaded square, the next roll
will be a subtraction task and the teddy bear will need to retrace steps.
• Observe how the children are completing the task. The board can be altered based
on the level of knowledge and how the children are seeing the patterns.
Teddy Bear Walk… continued...
The Numeral Roll
• You will need a numeral roll
• **START children with a numeral roll BEFORE looking at a hundred
chart!!! The numeral roll consists of a single line of numerals
whereas on the hundred chart, the numerals are arranged in ten
rows). This is confusing for children as they learn the sequence.
The Numeral Roll continued…
• Activities:
• Children simply say the number as the teacher points to it; either forward
or backward.
• Screen the sequence of numerals and displaying them one at a time.
• Displaying a numeral in a window and asking questions like – what number
is next? What is this number (two or three more)? What number comes
before this number (two or three back)? Then un-screening the numeral
so that the child can check his/her thinking.
• Proceeding along the sequence forwards or backwards, unscreening one
numeral at a time: a) first seeing then saying and b) first saying then
seeing
The Numeral Roll… continued...
• Notes:
• The decades (1 to 10, 11 to 20, etc) can appear in alternating colors or you can highlight
them to provide convenient reference points.
• You can cut up a hundred chart into ros of ten and place them in order to constitute a
numeral roll.
• A large numeral roll for the group can be used but small rolls should be available for
individual children.
• The numeral roll can be extended or shortened according to children’s levels of knowledge.