Before and After Numbers Worksheet for Preschoolers
Knowing which number comes immediately before or after another is a core piece of number sense for children ages 4-6, building the mental number line they'll rely on for addition, subtraction, and later mental math. This worksheet ties that skill to counting sets of objects first, which grounds the abstract number sequence in something concrete and countable. Practicing both directions — before and after — also strengthens flexible thinking about number order rather than only counting forward by rote.
Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Have your child count the objects in the first set out loud, pointing to each one as they count. Ask them to figure out and write the number that comes just before that count in the box provided. Move to the next set of objects and repeat the process for the number that comes after. Once finished, review the page together and have your child count from the smallest number to the largest to check their answers.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Create a number line on paper or with sidewalk chalk and have your child hop to the number before or after one you call out.
- •Use small manipulatives like blocks or coins to build a counted set, then add or remove one to show before-and-after physically.
- •Play a 'what comes next' game during daily routines, like counting stairs or steps.
- •Write a row of numbers with gaps and challenge your child to fill in the missing ones.
Tips for parents and teachers
Encourage the child to count aloud and verbalize the numbers before and after, since saying the sequence out loud reinforces the mental number line more than silent writing alone. If your child consistently reverses which number is 'before' and which is 'after,' physically point along a number line together to build the spatial left-to-right association. Provide assistance as needed and celebrate their successes, especially with numbers that don't have an obvious visual pattern.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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