How can you tell they’ve got it: Number Words to Twenty?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Read the word 'twelve' and identify it as 12; Write the word form of a given number 1–20; Match numeral cards to number word cards. Or just try it together: Can your child write number words like 'fourteen' or 'twenty' — and read them on a birthday card or in a story book without needing help?

Mathematics Number Representation & Place Value Ages 5–6

Number Words to Twenty

Your child can read and write number words from one to twenty. They can read the word 'twelve' and know it means 12.

In curriculum terms

Read and write number words from one to twenty

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Read the word 'twelve' and identify it as 12
Write the word form of a given number 1–20
Match numeral cards to number word cards

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Try this together

Can your child write number words like 'fourteen' or 'twenty' — and read them on a birthday card or in a story book without needing help?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Blending Sounds to Read Wordsages 4–7Reading number words (one, two, three...) requires phonics blending skills

Reading and writing numbers to 20ages 5–6Reading/writing number words requires already knowing the numeral forms

Reading High-Frequency Words by Sightages 5–8Many number words are irregular and must be recognised as sight words

Number Words to Twentythis skill · ages 5–6

Unlocks

Number Words to 100ages 6–7Writing number words to 100 extends from writing number words to 20

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 1 NSW

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9MFN03low confidenceFoundation · Number

quantify and compare collections to at least 20 using counting and explain or demonstrate reasoning

AC9M2N04low confidenceYear 2 · Number

add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers, representing problems using number sentences and solve using part-part-whole reasoning and a variety of calculation strategies

AC9M1N04low confidenceYear 1 · Number

add and subtract numbers within 20, using physical and virtual materials, part-part-whole knowledge to 10 and a variety of calculation strategies

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

MAE-RWN-02medium confidenceMathematics K-10 · Early Stage 1

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Reading and writing numbers to 100ages 5–6 Reading and writing numbers to 20ages 5–6 The teen numbersages 5–7 10 More or 10 Lessages 6–7

All Number Representation & Place Value skills →