Number Flashcards (0–5)
Preschool · 3–5Six free printable number cards on one sheet. Zero to five, which are the numerals worth knowing first — five is the anchor the whole counting system hangs off, because it is the fingers on one hand. Print on A4 or US Letter and cut along the dashed lines — sticking the sheet to a cereal box first is worth the extra minute, because flimsy cards bend within a day. Then play rather than test: spread four face up and ask for one, hide one and ask which is missing, or post them through a slot in a box.
Zero to five
The most important numerals a young child can recognise, because five is the anchor the whole counting system hangs off — it is the fingers on one hand, and everything above it is easier once five is known as a chunk rather than a count.
Zero is included and is the hardest of the six, because it names an absence rather than a quantity.
Matching numeral to amount
Lay a card down and put that many objects beside it — buttons, grapes, bricks. Recognising the symbol is only half the job; connecting it to a quantity is the half that matters, and cards alone will not do it.
Frequently asked questions
- Why start at zero to five?
- Five is the anchor the whole counting system hangs off, because it is the fingers on one hand. Once five is known as a chunk, everything above it gets easier.
- How do I use number cards well?
- Put that many objects beside each card. Recognising the symbol is only half the job — connecting it to a quantity is the half that matters, and cards alone will not do it.