Missing Numbers Worksheet

Five-year-olds often know the counting chant, then stall when the numbers are not all shown in order. This page gives them four short number trails to complete. Each trail starts with a small run of numbers from 0 to 10, with two blanks to fill in. The page also includes simple addition and subtraction clues, so you can help connect the missing number to a nearby fact.

This is a good fit when a child can count forward to 10 with some help and can recognize most numerals from 0 to 10. If numeral matching still feels wobbly, try the numbers match worksheet first because it gives extra practice seeing a number and choosing the same number. Then come back to this page when the printed numerals feel more familiar.

The practice is simple and hands-on. Point to each number, say it aloud, and ask, “What comes next?” For the addition and subtraction parts, read the whole fact together and cover the blank with a finger before writing. This keeps the focus on counting order, one more, and simple facts within 10, instead of guessing from the shape of the row.

Stay close for the first trail, especially if blanks appear near the end of the sequence. If a number is skipped, go back to the last printed number and count forward again. For a next step, the next whole number worksheet to ten is useful because it narrows the task to finding just one number that comes after another.