Ordinal Numbers
Year 1Week 1
Year 1 Ordinal Numbers Worksheets
5 worksheets across 1 week
Our free Year 1 Ordinal Numbers worksheets help children aged 5-6 understand and use ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th, aligned to the England National Curriculum. Ordinal numbers describe the position of something in a sequence, a concept that children encounter naturally in everyday life when talking about who came first in a race or which day of the week it is. Developing a secure understanding of ordinal numbers in Year 1 helps children with sequencing, number sense, and the positional language that is important across many areas of mathematics. The 5 worksheets provide one week of focused daily practice. Across the five days, children progress from recognising and reading ordinal numbers through to using them in practical contexts. Activities include identifying positions in a line, matching ordinal numbers to their written forms, sequencing objects, and solving problems that require children to work out or describe the position of an item. Each worksheet follows our three-section format of fluency, word problems, and reasoning. Fluency questions build rapid recognition of ordinal numbers and their abbreviations. Word problems place ordinal numbers in familiar contexts such as races, queues, and sequences of events. Reasoning challenges encourage children to think more deeply, for example working backwards from a given position or explaining why an answer is correct. Parents can reinforce ordinal numbers by using them in everyday conversation. Describe the order of activities during the day, talk about who came first, second, and third in a game, or ask your child to identify the third book on the shelf. Teachers can use these worksheets as a short, focused unit or spread across a longer period alongside other number work. By completing these worksheets, children will read, write, and use ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th, understand that ordinal numbers describe position rather than quantity, and apply this knowledge to solve problems. These skills support the broader Number and Place Value objectives of the Year 1 National Curriculum.
Ordinal Numbers
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Ordinal Numbers
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Ordinal Numbers
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Ordinal Numbers
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Ordinal Numbers
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are ordinal numbers?
- Ordinal numbers describe the position of something in a sequence, such as first (1st), second (2nd), third (3rd), and so on. Year 1 children should be able to use ordinal numbers up to 10th and apply them in practical contexts.
- How do I help my child learn ordinal numbers?
- Use ordinal numbers naturally in everyday conversation. When lining up toys, ask your child which one is first, second, or third. Talk about the order of activities in your day, such as first we have breakfast, then second we brush our teeth. Play games that involve finishing positions, such as races with toy cars. Read stories that involve sequences and ask your child to recall what happened first, second, and third. The more children hear and use ordinal language in meaningful contexts, the more naturally they will understand and remember it.
- When should my child know ordinal numbers to 10th?
- The England National Curriculum expects children to use ordinal numbers in practical contexts during Year 1, covering 1st through to 10th. Most children will be comfortable using first, second, and third early in Year 1 and will build up to 10th as the year progresses. By the end of Year 1, children should recognise the abbreviations (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on) and be able to use them to describe positions in a line or sequence. Our worksheets provide structured practice to build this understanding day by day.
- How many questions are in each ordinal numbers worksheet?
- Each worksheet contains between 8 and 12 questions across fluency, word problem, and reasoning sections. Fluency questions practise recognising and writing ordinal numbers. Word problems place ordinal numbers in real-life contexts such as races or queues, and reasoning questions ask children to explain positions or work backwards from clues. Each worksheet takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.