How to Teach Recognition of Numbers 11 to 20

Once children can recognize numbers 1 through 10, you can begin to teach them numbers 11 to 20. Understanding these numbers requires more than simple counting and recognition; it demands an awareness of tens and units and a larger sense of how numbers work. Teaching these concepts can be challenging. For ideas, scroll down to Step 1.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Introducing Numbers 11 to 20

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1
Present the numbers one at a time. Beginning with the number 11, teach children these numbers one at a time. Write the number on the board, and include a visual image: if you are teaching the number 11, draw 11 flowers, 11 cars, or 11 happy faces.
- It may also help to incorporate the concept of a ten frame at this point, including a ten frame with the appropriate number of units. For more on ten frames, see Part 2.
2
Teach children to count to 20. Children can usually learn to count to 20 fairly easily by rote memorization. Make it even easier by tackling the numbers just two at a time – first count to 12, then 14, and so on.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Note, however, that teaching children to count to 20 is not the same as teaching children to understand the number values. Counting needs to be accompanied by other lessons aimed at number awareness and comprehension.
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Once children know the individual numbers and can count to 20 in the correct order, have them practice writing the numbers themselves. For best results, have them pronounce the numbers out loud as they write them.
^{[2]XResearch source} Showing children a number line, marked at even intervals with the numbers from 0 to 20, may help them visualize the progression of numbers.
Some children have more success learning these numbers when they use objects they can touch. Have children count out sticks, pencils, cubes, marbles, or other small items. Reinforce the fact that if they count objects one by one, the number they reach when they stop counting is equivalent to the number of objects they have accumulated.^{[3]XResearch source}
6
Make it physical. Have children count their steps (stairs are great for this, but it’s also fine just to walk from one side of a room to the other), or have them jump up and down 20 times, counting as they go.
- Hopscotch games work well for this purpose. Draw 10 squares on the ground, and fill them with the numbers from 1 to 10. Have children count from 1 to 10 when they hop forward and from 11 to 20 when they hop backward.
Take every opportunity to count to twenty and demonstrate number awareness. The more children practice, the better their results will be.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Teaching Tens and Units

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1
Explain the basic concept of tens and units. Tell children that all the numbers from 11 to 19 are made up of one ten and a number of additional units. The number 20 is made of two whole tens.
- Help children visualize this concept by writing the number 11 and, next to it, showing a ten and a single unit, separated by a circle.
2
Introduce ten frames. A ten frame has 10 empty fields, which are filled as you count. You can use coins or other small objects to demonstrate this, and you can also draw it on the board.^{[4]XResearch source}
- For a good activity, give each child two ten frames and 20 objects of some kind. Have them create the number 11: one full ten frame, and a second ten frame with just one unit in it. Have them create the other numbers. You can also reverse the process, starting with full ten frames and taking objects away.
Show children that you can represent these numbers with dashes and dots: dashes for tens and dots for ones. Demonstrate that the number 15, for example, is made of one dash and five dots.
4
Draw a T table. Draw a T on a large piece of paper. The left column represents tens; the right represents ones. Fill the right column with the numbers 1 to 10, in sequence; leave the left column blank. Then:
- Add representative numbers of objects, such as small cubes, to the ones column: a single cube next to number 1, two cubes next to number 2, and so on.
- Explain that you could represent a ten with either ten of the small cubes or one larger stick.
- Fill the tens column with sticks, one by one, and explain how these numbers would work together to create larger numbers.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Reinforcing Numbers 11 to 20 with Fun Activities

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Use sets of cards labeled with numbers from 1 to 20 to play a memory matching game. Children turn the cards face down, then look for pairs.
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Joseph Meyer
Math Teacher
Joseph Meyer is a High School Math Teacher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an educator at City Charter High School, where he has been teaching for over 7 years. Joseph is also the founder of Sandbox Math, an online learning community dedicated to helping students succeed in Algebra. His site is set apart by its focus on fostering genuine comprehension through step-by-step understanding (instead of just getting the correct final answer), enabling learners to identify and overcome misunderstandings and confidently take on any test they face. He received his MA in Physics from Case Western Reserve University and his BA in Physics from Baldwin Wallace University.
Joseph Meyer
Math Teacher
Use playful academic activities and games to build students' math skills. Visual aids such as models, diagrams, and real-world objects transform abstract concepts into something more relatable, promoting a deeper understanding. Interactive activities enhance a student's learning by making math fun and engaging.
Have children fill containers with small items: 11 buttons, 12 grains of rice, 13 coins, and so on. Let them count the items and label containers with the appropriate numbers.
There are many picture books available that deal with numbers 1 through 20. Read them together.
^{[5]XResearch source} Counting songs help reinforce children’s understanding of number sequence in a fun way.
5
Play “Who Has the Number?” Give children cards labeled with numbers from 11 to 20. Ask a question – “who has number 15?” – and wait for the child with the appropriate card to rise.
- You can make this game more challenging by asking harder questions – “who has the number that is two more than 13?” – or by having students break down their numbers into tens and units when they rise.
Count out loud from 1 to 20, making random errors; let the children point out your mistakes. You can also do this with card sequences or number lines.
Choose two children. Assign one the role of the “ten” – he or she should raise both full hands in the air to show ten fingers. The second child is the “units” – he or she should raise the appropriate number of fingers to create whichever number you ask for.
Set up a station for each number from 11 to 20. For number 11, for example, label a desk with the written word “eleven,” the number “11,” and a picture of 11 items. In addition, set out 11 objects of some kind. Do this for every number, and have children circulate to identify the various stations.

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Do your best to make these lessons fun: children learn better from enjoyable activities than they do from dry lectures.
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Remember that individual children have different learning styles: some may do best when they have visual images, others may need to touch the materials themselves. Always offer a variety of lessons tailored to different learning styles.
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