Writing “twenty-three” when you already recognize the number 23 may seem simple. But for a child in Grade 1, moving from digits to number words involves several skills at once: recognizing the number, understanding its value, remembering how the word is spelled, and writing it correctly.

Learning to write number words is also part of a much broader skill: developing a strong understanding of numbers. If your child is still struggling to recognize, read or work with larger numbers, you can also explore these 7 effective strategies for helping children learn numbers up to 100.

The good news is that children don't need to complete endless worksheets to make progress. Short, regular and varied activities that combine visual learning, hands-on practice, games and writing can make number-word practice much more accessible.

Writing Numbers in Words: An Important Early Math Skill

During the early elementary years, children gradually learn that the same number can be represented in different ways.

For example:

23 → twenty-three → “twenty-three” spoken aloud → a quantity of 23 objects

All of these representations refer to the same number.

This means that learning to write number words isn't simply a spelling exercise. Children also need to understand the connection between the quantity, numeral, spoken number and written number word.

For some children, these connections develop quickly. Others need more repetition and opportunities to see, manipulate and use numbers in different ways.

Why Do Some Children Struggle to Write Number Words?

A child may recognize numbers perfectly well when they are written as digits but still hesitate when asked to write them in words.

Several skills are involved.

1. They need to remember the spelling of number words

Words such as:

one, two, three, eight, twelve

cannot always be spelled correctly simply by listening to how they sound.

Children gradually need to become familiar with their written forms.

This means they are working on math and spelling at the same time.

2. Number words become more complex

Writing:

7 → seven

is very different from writing:

27 → twenty-seven

As children progress, they begin combining number words:

38 → thirty-eight
64 → sixty-four
79 → seventy-nine

They need to recognize the tens and ones while also remembering the correct written form.

3. They need to connect several pieces of information

To write 42, for example, a child needs to:

• recognize the number 42;
• understand that it contains 4 tens and 2 ones;
• know the word forty;
• know the word two;
• combine the words correctly;
• and remember how to spell them.

Writing numbers in words therefore brings together number sense, language, memory and writing skills.

7 Ways to Help Children Learn to Write Numbers in Words

1. Start With Smaller Numbers

There is no need to ask a child to immediately learn how to write every number from 1 to 100.

Start with numbers they already know well.

A simple progression might be:

1–10 → 11–20 → multiples of ten → other two-digit numbers

This reduces the amount of new information the child has to remember at once.

For children who find number words difficult, mastering a small group before introducing more can make the task feel much more manageable.

Try this simple activity

Choose five numbers.

Ask:

“Can you find the number 8?”

Then:

“How do we write 8 in words?”

Finally:

“Can you write it without looking?”

The goal isn't to complete a large number of exercises. It's to give the child regular opportunities to retrieve information from memory.

2. Build the Connection Between Digits and Number Words

Before expecting a child to independently write forty-two, it can be helpful to strengthen the association:

42 ↔ forty-two

You can practice this with cards, matching activities or simple number challenges.

The Number Words Flashcards 1–100, for example, provide a hands-on way to work with different representations of numbers. A child can first find the matching number word, read it aloud and then try writing it without looking at the model.

The progression might look like this:

see → match → read → retrieve → write

This matters because a child may be able to recognize forty-two when they see it without yet being able to produce the word independently.

3. Use Visual Memory

Number words are written patterns that children gradually become familiar with.

Visual repetition can therefore be useful.

For example, show the child:

twenty-six

for a few seconds.

Then hide it and ask:

“What number did you see?”

Or reverse the activity:

26 → ?

and ask the child to find or write the corresponding number word.

The goal isn't to mechanically memorize a list of 100 words. Instead, children repeatedly encounter the connection between digits and their written forms.

This can be particularly useful for learners who benefit from clear visual supports and repeated exposure.

4. Use Hands-On Activities Before Writing

For some children, immediately asking them to write an answer on a worksheet adds an extra difficulty.

Hands-on activities allow them to work on the concept first.

Children can:

• move cards;
• match numbers and number words;
• sort numbers;
• play a memory game;
• complete a domino chain;
• use clip cards;
• play number bingo;
• find a number requested by an adult.

Once the association becomes more familiar, you can return to writing.

This allows children to concentrate first on recognizing and understanding the number, before adding handwriting and spelling.

5. Learn Number Words Through Play

What if, instead of saying:

“Write these number words 15 times,”

you turned the practice into a game?

Games don't replace explicit teaching or writing practice. But they can provide another way to repeat and retrieve the same information.

For example, the Number Words Memory Game 1–100 asks children to make connections between numbers and number words while using observation and memory. The Number Domino Game 1–100 provides another way to practice those same associations through matching. Both resources are part of PrintiKids' current number-word collection.

This is one reason educational games can be useful: children still need to recognize, retrieve and use the information in order to continue playing.

If you'd like to explore this idea further, I explain how repetition and retrieval can be incorporated into games in Educational Bingo Games for Kids: How Bingo Can Support Learning Through Play.

6. Keep Practice Short and Regular

When children are learning number words, short sessions several times a week can be easier to maintain than one long practice session.

For example:

Monday

Match 5 digits with their number words.

Tuesday

Play a short memory game using the same numbers.

Wednesday

Write 3 or 4 number words.

Thursday

Play a matching or sorting game.

Friday

Review the week's numbers with a quick challenge.

The child encounters the same information repeatedly, but the activity changes.

This allows children to revisit the same number words in different ways without feeling like they are completing the same exercise over and over again.

For some children, varying the activities around the same learning goal can also provide more opportunities to practise without simply repeating the same exercise. The Number Words to 100 Activity Pack – Grade 1 / Year 2 is one way to alternate between different activities while continuing to focus on recognizing, understanding and writing number words up to 100.

7. Focus on Progress, Not Mistakes

Suppose a child is trying to write forty-two and makes a spelling mistake.

Rather than simply saying:

“That's wrong.”

you can use the mistake as an opportunity to think:

“Let's look at forty. Which part did you remember correctly?”

or:

“Can you find forty-two among these three number words?”

This helps children pay attention to the structure of the word and identify what they already know.

The goal is not to prevent every mistake. It's to help children gradually become more independent at recognizing, checking and correcting their number words.

Which Number Words Should Children Learn First?

There isn't one progression that will suit every child. However, it usually makes sense to begin with smaller, more familiar numbers before expecting children to confidently write numbers up to 100.

Once these first number words become more familiar, larger two-digit numbers can gradually be introduced.

Step 1: Numbers 1–10

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

These provide the foundation for many later number words.

Step 2: Numbers 11–20

Children encounter several words that need to be learned individually:

eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty

Some of these words, particularly eleven and twelve, don't follow the same pattern as later two-digit numbers and need to become familiar through repeated exposure.

Step 3: Multiples of Ten

Next, focus on:

twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety

Pay particular attention to spellings such as forty, which children may initially spell fourty.

Step 4: Other Two-Digit Numbers

Once these foundations are secure, children can combine tens and ones:

21 → twenty-one
34 → thirty-four
47 → forty-seven
58 → fifty-eight

This allows them to recognize and reuse patterns rather than treating every number up to 100 as an entirely new word to memorize.

3 Simple Games for Practicing Number Words

Game 1: Number-Word Matching

Prepare two sets of cards:

• one with numbers written as digits;
• one with the corresponding number words.

Mix them up and ask the child to find the pairs.

For example:

32 ↔ thirty-two

Start with only five or ten pairs and increase the number as the child becomes more confident.

Game 2: Number-Word Memory

Place the cards face down.

The child turns over two cards and tries to match a digit with its corresponding number word.

Each time they turn over a word, encourage them to read it aloud.

This combines number recognition, reading and retrieval practice within one short activity.

Game 3: Mystery Number

Write several number words on cards.

Then give the child a clue:

“I'm looking for the number that comes after 27.”

The child needs to find:

twenty-eight

You can then reverse the activity:

“Which number is written here?”

This brings together number sequences, reading and number-word recognition.

Printable Number Word Activities for Grade 1 and Grade 2

Children don't need to use the same type of activity every time they practice. One day they might write a few number words; on another, they might play a memory game, build a domino chain or use matching cards. The learning goal remains the same while the activity changes.

That's why I've brought together a selection of printable games and activities for learning number words from 1 to 100. The collection includes different ways to practise number recognition, matching, reading and writing, making it easier to choose an activity according to what a child needs to work on.

This variety can be particularly useful for children who benefit from seeing and practising the same concept in different ways, rather than repeating the same type of worksheet each time.

What If My Child Knows the Numbers but Can't Write Them in Words?

First, try to identify where the difficulty occurs.

Ask yourself whether your child can:

• recognize the number as digits;
• say the number aloud;
• understand its value;
• recognize the number word when they see it;
• match the digit to the correct word;
• copy the number word;
• spell it without a model.

These are different skills.

For example, if a child knows that 47 is forty-seven but can't remember how to spell it, the main difficulty probably isn't understanding the number.

They may need more practice with the written form and spelling of number words.

On the other hand, if they regularly confuse 47 and 74, it may be more useful to work on place value and number recognition before focusing on spelling.

Do Children Need to Write Every Number From 1 to 100 in Words?

Not all at once.

The goal shouldn't be to memorize a list of 100 separate number words as quickly as possible.

English number words contain patterns that children can gradually learn and reuse.

For example, once a child knows:

twenty + three

they can understand how:

23 → twenty-three

is constructed.

The same pattern can then be applied to many other two-digit numbers.

The important thing is to gradually build connections between:

quantity → numeral → spoken number → number word → writing

and revisit previous learning regularly.

If practice becomes frustrating, reduce the number of words, return to something the child can already do successfully and introduce the next step gradually.

Learning Number Words Without Pressure

Learning to write numbers in words requires repetition. But repetition doesn't have to mean completing the same worksheet again and again.

A child can revisit the same number words by:

• reading them;
• matching them;
• sorting cards;
• playing memory;
• completing dominoes;
• using clip cards;
• playing bingo;
• writing them independently.

The variety keeps practice more engaging while giving children multiple opportunities to retrieve and use the same information.

A few manageable learning activities repeated regularly can be much easier for children than turning number-word practice into a long, stressful session.

In Summary

To help children learn to write numbers in words, focus on gradual, varied practice:

✔ Start with smaller numbers
✔ Connect digits with number words
✔ Use clear visual supports
✔ Introduce hands-on activities before independent writing
✔ Practice regularly
✔ Vary the activity while keeping the same learning goal
✔ Use educational games to make repetition more engaging
✔ Adapt the difficulty to the child's current level
✔ Help children learn from mistakes

The goal isn't for children to immediately memorize how to write every number from 1 to 100.

It's to help them build strong connections between numbers and their different representations so that reading and writing number words gradually becomes more automatic.

Sometimes, five carefully chosen number words and a short game are more useful than trying to learn dozens at once.

Explore PrintiKids Number Word Activities

Discover the complete collection of Writing Number Words 1–100 activities for Grade 1–2 / Year 2–3, including printable worksheets, flashcards and hands-on educational games.

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