One of the biggest problems with English classes is that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) vocabulary begins and ends with numbers in English. Oftentimes, teachers focus on “language” vocabulary at the expense of other topics. But there is a whole world of vocabulary that is oftentimes ignored.
Numbers in English can be a starting point for giving your child a well-rounded English education. One that teaches your child to move beyond basic words in English and learn how to speak about math, science, and everything they learn in their native language.
Use this guide to introduce your child to the basics of numbers in English. Below, you can find free 1-20 flashcards, the numbers 1-100 with English spellings, as well as some helpful ideas on how to practice numbers with your child.
Once you are done with basic numbers, you should work on ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) with your child. We have made a full post about ordinal numbers to help you with teaching that.
If you want to round out your child’s English vocabulary, take a look at our animal posts and our guide on colors in English. If you have any questions about teaching vocabulary you can read our guide on how to teach vocabulary effectively as well as ask us any questions you may have by clicking on the image below.
Numbers in English 1-20 Flashcards
By clicking on the image below or by clicking here, you can download our free set of numbers 1-20 flashcards. Each flashcard is in black and white so your child can color and decorate their own flashcards.
While practicing with these flashcards, I recommend that you primarily use them in memory games. Try not to make flashcards a boring memorization tool. Instead, use your creativity and inspire your child to want to learn English in a fun and engaging manner.
Numbers Target Sentences
While planning my next lesson, target sentences form the basis of how I am going to teach. To help you, I have included some ideas you could use for target sentences.
If you need help with lesson planning, I would recommend you look at our posts on target sentences and how to teach vocabulary to your child.
How many _____ do you have?
I have # _______.
How many books do you have?
I have four books.
What is # plus #?
# plus # is/equals #.
What is two plus three?
Two plus three is five.
How many ____ do you want?
I want # ________.
How many cookies do you want?
I want five cookies.
What time is it?
It is #o’clock.
What time is it?
It is 3 o’clock.
Numbers in English 1 to 100
This list can be used as a reference for you to teach our child numbers in English. For young learners who are just starting to learn numbers, I would recommend that you learn numbers 1-5, then 6-10, then 11-15, and so on.
Numbers 1-20 are the hardest to learn and the most commonly used. Spend a lot of time making sure that your child has full comprehension of these before moving on to 21-100.
1 – one
2 – two
3 – three
4 – four
5 – five
6 – six
7 – seven
8 – eight
9 – nine
10 – ten
11 – eleven
12 – twelve
13 – thirteen
14 – fourteen
15 – fifteen
16 – sixteen
17 – seventeen
18 – eighteen
19 – nineteen
20 – twenty
21 – twenty-one
22 – twenty-two
23 – twenty-three
24 – twenty-four
25 – twenty-five
26 – twenty-six
27 – twenty-seven
28 – twenty-eight
29 – twenty-nine
30 – thirty
31 – thirty-one
32 – thirty-two
33 – thirty-three
34 – thirty-four
35 – thirty-five
36 – thirty-six
37 – thirty-seven
38 – thirty-eight
39 – thirty-nine
40 – forty
41 – forty-one
42 – forty-two
43 – forty-three
44 – forty-four
45 – forty-five
46 – forty-six
47 – forty-seven
48 – forty-eight
49 – forty-nine
50 – fifty
51 – fifty-one
52 – fifty-two
53 – fifty-three
54 – fifty-four
55 – fifty-five
56 – fifty-six
57 – fifty-seven
58 – fifty-eight
59 – fifty-nine
60 – sixty
61 – sixty-one
62 – sixty-two
63 – sixty-three
64 – sixty-four
65 – sixty-five
66 – sixty-six
67 – sixty-seven
68 – sixty-eight
69 – sixty-nine
70 – seventy
71 – seventy-one
72 – seventy-two
73 – seventy-three
74 – seventy-four
75 – seventy-five
76 – seventy-six
77 – seventy-seven
78 – seventy-eight
79 – seventy-nine
80 – eighty
81 – eighty-one
82 – eighty-two
83 – eighty-three
84 – eighty-four
85 – eighty-five
86 – eighty-six
87 – eighty-seven
88 – eighty-eight
89 – eighty-nine
90 – ninety
91 – ninety-one
92 – ninety-two
93 – ninety-three
94 – ninety-four
95 – ninety-five
96 – ninety-six
97 – ninety-seven
98 – ninety-eight
99 – ninety-nine
100 – one hundred
Numbers in English Songs
Songs are great for teaching numbers in English to kids. They can also help provide the repetition needed to improve your child’s speaking and listening skills.
In this list, I have chosen my favorite numbers songs that I use with my students.
Counting 1-10 Song
This song from the Singing Walrus is catchy and does a great job of repeating the numbers 1-10 several times. My three-year-olds used to love hearing this song every morning, and it is a fantastic review song on this crucial vocabulary. If you want to hear more, you can also look at Singing Walrus’s 1-20 song.
Count to 20 and Workout
This is a fun song that will warm up your child’s brain and body. Movement is an effective way to get a child’s brain engaged, and this song uses that to help them learn their numbers from 1-20.
Counting and Matching Song
This is a slightly more advanced song and game for children who have mastered their 1-20 words. This song asks children to count and say how many fish they can see. It can help them learn the target sentence “How many do you see?”
Numbers in English Exercises
Here are some easy exercises you can use with your kids. Each of these games can help you teach your children about numbers in English.
What Time is it Mr. Wolf?
A classic schoolyard game where the teacher or parents is the “wolf” while the children line up across the room. The children have to ask, “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?” “Mr. Wolf” will need to respond with a time (3 o’clock, 7 o’clock, etc.). The children can then move forward that many steps. However, if the wolf says “lunchtime,” then the kids need to run back to the starting point before the wolf catches them.
Use this game to practice easy number vocabulary and time words. When your child gets better, they can be the wolf too. You will, unfortunately, need at least three people to play, if not more.
What Do you Want?
In “What do you want?” your child will ask you “What do you want?” and you will tell them what item(s) you want. So, you could say “I want three apples.” Your child will then run to get you what you want. You can play with real things around the house or cut out flashcards. This game also really helps with reviewing other vocabulary words.
I like to add a timed element to the game with a stopwatch. Make it a race or competition. Multiple competitors will make this more fun. Also, let your child play the other role so they can practice both sides of the dialogue.
Board Games
Board games are an ideal way to teach and review numbers 1-6. After every roll, have your child tell you what number they rolled. You can even use board games to review other vocabulary at the same time.
If 1-6 is too easy, you can write numbers on each of the squares and have them tell you which number they landed on. Games like snakes and ladders often have numbers up to 100. If you want to download a free board game, we have an article on board games in the classroom that can help you.
Need More Help?
Teaching your child vocabulary is hard. That’s why we try to give you all the tools you will need to be an effective teacher. But we can’t answer everything in every article. That’s why we have made some resources to help you.
A great place to start is our articles on how to teach vocabulary effectively where you can learn the 6 steps to planning a great vocabulary lesson. Next, take a look at our article on how you can help your child remember the vocabulary you want to teach them. If you have more questions, just hit the image below and ask us whatever you want. We are here to help and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Final Thoughts
Science, math, and numbers are often overlooked parts of English vocabulary. But, a good English speaker needs to be a well-rounded English speaker who can speak about all aspects of their life. Including these more technical areas.
Numbers in English are important because they straddle the line between everyday use and technical. Your child will need to know their numbers for tasks like asking for the time, understanding dates, and interactions with store clerks.
Numbers are also the first step into STEM English where your child can learn about science, math, and other disciplines that are usually left out of the English classroom. Exploring these areas in English not only makes your child a better English speaker but also can help your child explore the STEM skills that can help them find success later on in life.