Reading and Writing 0 to 10

You know how many are in a group. Now let’s write it! A numeral is the way we write a number.

Each plate has a numeral under it. The empty plate shows 0.

Key idea

Each numeral stands for a number of things. 0 means none at all.

Why it works

Writing a numeral lets us remember how many without drawing every thing. 0 is a real number too: it tells us a group is empty.

Worked example: Write how many

There are 7 apples on the plate. Which numeral do we write?

Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
We write 7.

Answer: 7

Worked example: An empty plate

Nothing is on the plate. What number is that?

There are no cookies.
None is 0.

Answer: 0

Common mistake

Thinking 0 is not a number, or writing a numeral backward. 0 answers “How many?” when there are none. To write a numeral, trace a model first and notice which way it faces.

The second 3 is flipped, like in a mirror.

For grown-ups: Let your child write numerals in sand, with a finger on your back, or with chalk. Ask them to draw that many dots next to each one.

Reading and Writing 0 to 10

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