Our website use cookies to improve and personalize your experience and to display advertisements(if any). Our website may also include cookies from third parties like Google Adsense, Google Analytics, Youtube. By using the website, you consent to the use of cookies. We’ve updated our Privacy Policy. Please click on the button to check our Privacy Policy.

VIP Login                                                          FREE login                                                       FAQ                                   Contact

How To Say Really Big Numbers {It’s A Nifty Trick!}

How To Say Really Big Numbers {It’s A Nifty Trick!}

Do your kids struggle with saying big numbers? Try this nifty trick and your kids will crush 5,6, & 7 figure numbers. This activity will make learning fun and teaching numeracy easy!

 

Saying Big Numbers Place Value Posters

 

Saying really big numbers can be difficult for kids, especially numbers with 5 or more digits.

Students that find saying big numbers difficult don’t realise that numbers are said in groups or ‘families’ of three  (ones, thousands and millions) and that the comma or space in numbers represent a place value word.

How To Say Big Numbers

 

How To Say Big Numbers

You probably have Kids in you classroom that say big numbers in a string without using any place value markers. They may say “seven, one, three, two, six, five” instead of seven hundred and thirteen thousand two hundred and sixty five.

These are the kids that need a bit of help with saying big numbers!

Help your students become confident at saying big numbers with this cool trick! Scroll to the end of the post for your FREE printables and be sure to visit our Teacher Worksheets page for more Freebies!

 

 

 

Saying Big Numbers FREE Place Value Posters

This post includes our Affiliate links to products we have used in our classroom. We receive a small commission if you make a purchase using it, at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support.


Saying Big Numbers Using Colour Coding

Latest research into learning maths, by Professor Jo Boaler, emphasises the importance of students not learning maths through memorization. We agree!!! Kids who rely on memory for their math understanding are on shaky ground, because the memory can FAIL!

In her books Mindset Mathematics Boaler shows that students will do better in maths if they are given the opportunity to visualize, play and investigate the maths concepts they are learning. Like in the Chinese proverb…

Hands on Learning Chinese Proverb

She talks about how colour-coding can help students visualise number patterns which helps them to connect everything together and build a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.

Our brain wants to think visually about mathematics, yet few curriculum materials engage students in visual thinking. The neuroscientists’ research shows the importance not only of visual thinking but also of students’ connecting different areas of their brains as they work on mathematics.Jo Boaler

So we have taken her expert advice to help with teaching numbers.

How To Pronounce Big Numbers Fun Comma Games

 

Nifty Trick For Saying Big Numbers

This nifty trick, using colour-coding, will help your student to visualise and connect numerals to number names and place value.

It’s a great activity to use in your math rotations, or as a warm up. Your kids will think it’s  FUN and will love using coloured pens and highlighters to help them learn how to say large numbers.

To go with this big numbers activity we made a free fun comma game numbers printable that’s really nifty for teaching how to say numbers.

Use it to get the kids started and then get the them to create their own versions! (It’s at the end of the post)

 

How To Say Really Big Numbers

 

 


How To Say Big Numbers

Comma or NO Comma?

Many countries use a comma to separate numbers but some, including Australia, are no longer using the comma, they just leave a space between the numbers.

It worth a discussion so that students don’t think the comma in numbers is the same as the comma in writing!  I mention both ways so that students can understand place value in a range of contexts and don’t get stumped if they see it a different way.

Read more about gaps and commas in numbers in this article.

How To Teach Big Numbers

Fun Comma Games

    1. Start by writing a 3 digit number in black pen, missing out the comma.
    2. Use the prompt: “The name of the comma in this 3 digit number is ‘Thousand’ “, use this to help you read the place value of any big numbers.
    3. Go back to the original number and add the comma using a different colour, in this case we used pink.
    4. The next step is to model to the students how to read the number from left to right. “Say the name of the number in front of the comma.” In this case it’s one, write this down in words under the digit, using black pen to match the colours
    5. Next point to the comma and say the name of the comma, “Thousand”, writing this down at the same time.
    6. Continue modelling how to say the number names of the rest of the digits in the number. In this case they are zeros so they are not said… an interesting discussion to also have with the students.
    7. Now run it altogether writing it down as you go.
    8. Now, build larger numbers in the tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands.

Prompt:

  • “The name of the pink comma is ‘thousand’.”
  • “Read the number in front of the comma (10).”
  • “Say the name of the comma (thousand)

9. Repeat the process for 100,000.


Your Time is Precious, Save it! Become A VIP Member and get all our resources for just AU$37 on our membership site. Click the image to find our more…

 


Dice Game For Saying Big Numbers

The next step for your students is to practice until they become fluent and confident.

We made a fun place value dice game which we use with think boards to get your kids practicing saying big numbers.

To make using dice fun and less hectic we found a great little hack on Pinterest using a medicine/pill box.

With a few tweaks we adjusted  to help kids to say big numbers using colour coding.

Click the image for the instructions for the Place Value Dice Activity

 

Colour Coded Dice Shaker

 

Teaching Big Numbers & Place Value Resources

Click Image to Get your FREE Saying Big Numbers Posters


 

Place Value Folder Free Printable

Place Value Folder Template & Dice Activity

 

Clever ideas for making teaching Numeracy fun!

Teaching Numeracy

Teaching Algebra Tips

Teaching Algebra in Primary School

FREE Math Talk Posters For teachers

 

By A+ Team

The A Plus Teacher has been a Primary School Numeracy Curriculum Leader and Coach for 16 years and now advisors A Plus Teaching Resources about Teaching Numeracy The A+ Team is Passionate About helping educators to save time so that they can concentrate on the most important job in the world... Teaching! The Team Creates Time Saving, Tried & Tested, Hands-on, Teaching Resources, Ideas, Organisers, Checklists, Printables, Posters, & Games! Visit the Website for Some FREE Teacher Worksheets & ideas! & Join our FACEBOOK Community

6 Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get Everything In Store Plus 240 New Resources A Year For AU$39

Do you want more time for yourself and more $ in your pocket? (well let’s be honest… more $ for shopping at Kmart! hehehe.) Do you need high quality teaching resources, printables & planning kits to help make your teacher life run smoothly?  If You answered YES! Then you need to become a VIP Member Today!

When You Join Our VIP Membership we Guarantee You Will Get…

  • More TIME for you to RELAX and take time out from doing School Suff!
  • More TIME to spend with FAMILY & FRIENDS at the weekend!
  • INSTANT Access to Fun, Engaging, Hands-on ACTIVITIES that your Students will LOVE!
  • QUALITY Resources created by Experienced, B.Ed Qualified, Teachers with Expertise in Curriculum Leadership, Numeracy & Literacy Coaching.
  • 1000’s of Printables, Checklists, Posters, & Planning Teacher Resources. In fact Everything & more from ALL our online Stores!
  • 20 NEW Resources every month (240 a year, requests available!)
  • A TON of work life balance for a STRESS LESS Year!

You can get this slice of Teaching Heaven for LESS than the price of your daily COFFEE!  That’s right! For a teeny tiny AU$3.25 per MONTH, you can Put The Joy Back Into Teaching!

What Are You Waiting For? Click the Pink Button To See More!