Number Tracing Worksheets, 1 to 20

Writing numerals is a motor skill sitting on top of a counting skill, and the two are often confused. A child who writes a backwards 3 is usually not confused about what three means — they are still building the movement, and the movement takes hundreds of repetitions before it becomes automatic. These sheets give ruled rows with a model to start from, so the practice happens in the right size and the right direction.

Each row has a top line, a dotted midline and a baseline, because a numeral written without a guide is practice at the wrong size. The first numeral in each row is the model; the rest are grey and meant to be traced over.

Numbers 1 to 10Pre-K & K · 2 practice pagesDownload PDFNumbers 11 to 20Kindergarten · 2 practice pagesDownload PDFThe digits that get reversedKindergarten · 2 practice pagesDownload PDF

How we use these in class

Say it while you write it. Every numeral has a spoken path — "straight down for one", "around and down for two". Children who narrate while they trace reverse far fewer digits than children who trace in silence, because the words hold the direction.

Short and daily. Two rows a day beats a whole sheet once a week. Handwriting is a motor habit and motor habits are built by repetition spaced out, not massed.

Do not panic about reversals. Reversed numerals are typical up to about age seven and are not, on their own, a sign of anything. What is worth watching is a child who reverses without noticing even when the model is right in front of them.

Watch 6 and 9, and 2 and 5. They start with similar movements and turn in opposite directions, which is why they get swapped. Practicing them on the same page, as the third sheet does, is more useful than practicing them a week apart.

The spoken path for each numeral

These are the phrases we say while the children write. They are short on purpose: a rhyme a child cannot remember is worse than no rhyme at all. Every one starts at the top, which is the single habit that matters most.

• 1 — straight down.
• 2 — around, slide down, straight across.
• 3 — around, and around again.
• 4 — down, across, then down through.
• 5 — down, around, then a hat on top.
• 6 — curve down and loop back up.
• 7 — across, then slide down.
• 8 — up and around like an S, then back home.
• 9 — a circle first, then straight down.
• 0 — all the way around and stop where you started.

Two of these are worth extra attention. 6 and 9 use opposite turns, which is why they get swapped; teaching them in the same session, one right after the other, works better than keeping them apart. And 5 is the numeral most often started at the wrong place, because the horizontal stroke looks like it should come first — it comes last.

Before number tracing

If a child cannot yet control a straight line or a curve, numeral practice will be frustrating for both of you. The pre-writing stroke sheets come first: lines, zigzags, waves, hills and loops are the five movements every numeral and letter is assembled from.

Frequently asked questions

What age are number tracing worksheets for?

Typically ages four to six — Pre-K and Kindergarten. Some children are ready earlier and many need the practice well into first grade, which is normal.

My child writes numbers backwards. Is that a problem?

Usually not before age seven. Reversals are a normal stage of learning to write. If they persist past that, or come with other difficulties in reading and writing, it is worth mentioning to the teacher.

Should I laminate these?

It works well for the early sheets: laminate one page, use a dry-erase marker, and the same sheet lasts the whole term. Once the child is writing confidently, go back to paper so the pencil grip is the real one.

Do the sheets teach counting too?

Only indirectly. They are handwriting practice. Counting and one-to-one correspondence are a separate job and are better done with objects than with a worksheet.

More free printable worksheets

Every set on this site is a free PDF, no sign-up needed. These are the other collections:

• Pre-Writing and Tracing Worksheets for Preschool
• Geometry Worksheets for Elementary
• Fractions Worksheets for Grades 3-6
• Multiplication Facts Worksheets and Times Tables

¿Has visto una errata o echas algo en falta? Escríbenos desde contacto y lo corregimos. Somos dos maestros en activo y se agradece el aviso.