Number Words to Twenty
LANGUAGERead and write number words from one to twenty
Mastery Evidence
- Read the word 'twelve' and identify it as 12
- Write the word form of a given number 1–20
- Match numeral cards to number word cards
Assessment Prompt
“Can [child] write number words like 'fourteen' or 'twenty' — and read them on a birthday card or in a story book without needing help?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
Maths/Y1/NPV/5The national curriculum in EnglandRead and write numbers from 1 to 20 in numerals and words.
Prerequisites3
- Reading and writing numbers to 20hardAges 5—6
- Blending Sounds to Read WordshardAges 4—7
- Reading High-Frequency Words by SightsoftAges 5—8
Show full prerequisite tree
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Reading/writing number words requires already knowing the numeral forms
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Blending Sounds to Read Words hard
Reading number words (one, two, three...) requires phonics blending skills
- Reading High-Frequency Words by Sight soft
Many number words are irregular and must be recognised as sight words
- Blending Sounds to Read Words soft
Blending helps attempt unfamiliar words but sight words bypass phonics
Unlocks1
- Number Words to 100hardAges 6—7