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Number Tracing Worksheets 1–20
Number tracing worksheets are printable sheets for children aged 3 to 6 that show numerals 1 to 20 as dotted outlines with a starting point and stroke arrows, beside a group of objects to count. They teach numeral formation, number recognition, one-to-one counting, and the link between a written number and a quantity in Preschool, Nursery, LKG, Pre-K and Reception.
Numerals are harder to write than they look: ten symbols, most with curves, several that flip into each other, and no song to fix their order the way the alphabet song does for letters. A three-year-old tracing 1, 4 and 7 is learning that a number is drawn with a fixed sequence of strokes. A five-year-old is writing 1 to 20 from memory and turning the 3 and the 5 the wrong way. By six, in Kindergarten, Reception or UKG, the numerals should be automatic so attention can go to what they mean. Every sheet on this page pairs the numeral with a set of objects to count, because a number traced without a quantity beside it is only a picture. The 1–10 sheets suit Nursery, Preschool and LKG; the 11–20 sheets suit Pre-K, Reception and UKG.
767+ worksheets · free PDF download · print on A4 or Letter
Number Tracing Worksheets 1–20 to print
Browse all worksheets for ages 3–6
Trace the Numbers 1-9 Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children practice tracing numbers 1 through 9, improving their fine motor skills and number recognition.
CVC Train Worksheet: Write and Build CVC Words!
This worksheet helps children practice writing and recognizing CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.
CVC Train Worksheet: Write CVC Words!
This worksheet helps children practice writing CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, building a foundation for early reading.
My Address Worksheet: Color the State and Fill in Your Details!
This worksheet helps children learn about their address and identify their state on a map of India.
Christmas Fill-in-the-Blanks Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children practice their letter recognition and spelling skills by filling in the missing letters of Christmas-themed words.
I Spy Christmas Worksheet: Count and Write!
This worksheet helps children practice counting skills and number recognition by identifying and counting Christmas-themed images.
Spring Vocabulary Unscramble Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children learn spring-themed vocabulary by unscrambling the letters to form words.
I Spy Spring Worksheet: Count and Write!
This worksheet helps children practice counting skills by identifying and counting different spring-themed objects.
Trace the Letter S Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children practice tracing the letter S, improving their fine motor skills and letter recognition.
Spooky Skull Tracing Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children practice tracing skills and improve hand-eye coordination.
Fall Vocabulary Unscramble Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children learn and practice fall-themed vocabulary by unscrambling the letters to spell the words.
Spooky Vocabulary Worksheet: Fill in the Missing Letters!
This worksheet helps children practice letter recognition and spelling by filling in the missing letters of Halloween-themed words.
Spooky Fun: Complete the Halloween Sketches Worksheet
This worksheet helps children practice their fine motor skills and visual perception by completing simple sketches and coloring them.
I Spy Halloween Worksheet: Count and Write!
Children will practice counting Halloween-themed objects and writing the corresponding numbers.
Identify the Countries! A Fun Flag Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet helps children learn to recognize different country flags and practice spelling country names.
Identify the Country: Flag Matching Worksheet
This worksheet helps children learn to identify different countries by matching the flag to the country's name.
Festival Fun: Name the Festivals Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet helps children learn about different festivals and practice their writing skills by identifying and writing the names of each festival.
My Festival Celebration Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet helps children reflect on their festival celebrations and practice writing and drawing skills.
Makar Sakranti Fill-in-the-Blanks Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet helps children practice reading comprehension skills by filling in the blanks about the festival of Makar Sakranti.
Navaratri Dance Count: A Fun Counting Worksheet for Kids!
This worksheet helps children practice their counting skills by counting the number of dancers in the images.
My Favorite Animal: Lifecycle Writing Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet helps children practice writing about the different stages of an animal's life cycle. It encourages them to think about the order of events.
Identify and Complete the Names Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children identify pictures and complete the names by filling in the missing letters.
Complete the Words: A Fun Worksheet for Early Readers!
This worksheet helps children practice letter recognition and build vocabulary by completing the missing letters in words.
Complete the Words: Identify the Animals Worksheet for Preschoolers
This worksheet helps children practice their letter recognition and spelling skills by completing the names of different animals.
How numerals are formed
Every numeral except 4 and 5 is written in a single stroke starting at the top. The 1 is a downstroke; 7 is a horizontal then a diagonal; 4 is two strokes, a down-and-across then a vertical; 5 is a downstroke and curve then a top bar added last. The curved numerals 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 0 begin at the top and travel in a fixed direction. Teaching the starting point and direction is what prevents numbers being drawn from the bottom or built from pieces.
Order the sheets by stroke difficulty rather than by counting order: 1, 4, 7 first, then 0, 6, 9, then 2, 3, 5, 8. The teen numbers reuse those shapes with the 1 in front, so 11 to 20 are formation review plus place-value introduction.
- Age 3–4: trace 1–5 with large dotted numerals, count the pictures beside each
- Age 4–5: trace and copy 1–10, write the number that matches a group
- Age 5–6: trace, copy and write 11–20, count and write the total, ten-frame sheets
Pair tracing with counting
Before tracing a numeral, have the child count the objects on the sheet aloud, touching each once, and say the total. Then trace the numeral while saying its name. Then count out the same number of real objects on the table. This three-step routine takes a minute per numeral and ties the symbol to the amount, which is the point of the exercise. On count-and-write sheets, encourage crossing off each picture as it is counted so nothing is counted twice.
Common reversals and how to fix them
The numerals 3, 5 and 7 are reversed most often, followed by 2, 6 and 9, which are also confused with each other. Reversals are normal until about age 7 and have the same cause as b/d confusion: the child has not yet learned that orientation changes meaning. Fix them by starting point, not by pointing out the finished error: a 3 starts at the top and curves right twice, a 5 starts with a downstroke on the left, a 7 starts with the top bar going right.
Frequently asked questions
What age should a child start number tracing?
Around 3 and a half to 4, once the child can trace a straight line and a circle and can count a few objects with one touch each. Tracing 1 to 5 in Nursery or Preschool, 1 to 10 in Pre-K, Reception or LKG, and 11 to 20 in Kindergarten or UKG matches most curricula. Tracing numerals before the child understands them as amounts produces neat symbols with no meaning attached.
What numbers should a 4-year-old be able to write?
By 4, the end of Nursery or Preschool, a child can usually trace the numerals 1 to 10 and write 1, 4 and 7 unaided, with wobble. By 5, at the end of Pre-K, Reception or LKG, writing 0 to 10 from memory with some reversals is typical. Writing 0 to 20 correctly is a Kindergarten goal in Common Core (K.CC.A.3) and an end-of-Reception expectation in the EYFS.
Why does my child write numbers backwards?
Number reversals, especially 3, 5 and 7, are a normal part of learning to write between ages 4 and 7. Objects keep their identity when turned around, so a child has no reason yet to expect symbols to be different. Reversals fade as the child learns a fixed starting point and stroke direction for each numeral. Practice with starting dots and arrows, and prompt with the movement rather than correcting the finished figure.
Should I teach number tracing 1–10 or 1–20 first?
One to ten first, and only move to 11 to 20 once the child can count to 20 aloud and count a group of ten objects reliably. The teen numerals are the same shapes with a 1 in front, so formation is quick, but understanding that 14 means ten and four takes longer. Ten-frame and count-and-write sheets in the 11 to 20 range support that step.
How is number tracing different from counting worksheets?
Number tracing teaches how to write the symbol; counting worksheets teach how many the symbol stands for. The best number tracing worksheets do both by putting objects beside the numeral, and this page is arranged so each numeral is traced, then matched to a quantity, then written independently. A child who can write 8 beautifully but counts a group of eight as seven needs the counting hub, not more tracing.
Are the number tracing worksheets free?
Yes. With an account you can download any number tracing sheet as a watermarked PDF at no cost, up to five a day. A yearly subscription (₹1000 or $20) removes the watermark and the cap on the full library of more than 1,000 worksheets plus all printable packs. The sheets print correctly on A4 and US Letter.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Written and reviewed by Hemsweta Jain (Teacher Cheena), who designs every RaisoActive worksheet.
Last reviewed
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