Mathematics · Class 2

Active learning ideas

Number Names and Numerals

Active learning helps children anchor abstract number concepts in concrete experiences. For number names and numerals, speaking, writing, and matching numbers in different forms builds automaticity and reduces confusion between similar-sounding words like 'thirteen' and 'thirty'.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Numbers up to 100 - Class 2

• 10–20 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• RAFT Writing
• 20 min · Whole Class

Number Name Bingo

Prepare bingo cards with numerals and number names mixed. Call out one form, and students mark the matching one. First to complete a row wins. This reinforces conversion skills.

Explain why 'fourteen' and 'forty' sound similar but represent very different values.

Facilitation Tip

During Number Name Bingo, encourage students to say each number name aloud before marking their cards to reinforce auditory and visual connections.

What to look for

Present students with a list of 5 two-digit numerals (e.g., 34, 81, 55, 19, 70). Ask them to write the corresponding number name for each. Check for accuracy in spelling and representation of tens and ones.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• RAFT Writing
• 15 min · Small Groups

Numeral to Name Relay

Divide class into teams. Show a numeral; first student writes the name and passes baton. Correct entries score points. Builds speed and accuracy.

Construct the numeral for 'seventy-three' and justify your placement of the digits.

Facilitation Tip

In the Numeral to Name Relay, place place-value charts at each station so children see how digits split into tens and ones before writing the name.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a number name (e.g., 'forty-two', 'nineteen', 'seventy'). Ask them to write the numeral for it on the back. Collect the cards and quickly review to identify common errors in numeral formation or place value.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• RAFT Writing
• 10 min · Pairs

Flashcard Match

Students draw cards with numerals and names, matching pairs. Discuss placements for tens and ones. Swap cards to repeat.

Differentiate between the written form of 'eighty' and 'eighteen'.

Facilitation Tip

While using Flashcard Match, let students work in pairs to discuss and justify their matches before revealing the answer card.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Why is it important to know both the number name and the numeral for a number?' Guide the discussion towards understanding that different situations require different forms and that confusion can lead to mistakes, especially with similar-sounding numbers like 'thirteen' and 'thirty'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• RAFT Writing
• 15 min · Whole Class

Dictation Chain

Say a number name; student writes numeral and passes to next who says next number. Continues around circle.

Explain why 'fourteen' and 'forty' sound similar but represent very different values.

Facilitation Tip

During Dictation Chain, pause after each number to give students time to write and check their spelling before moving to the next one.

What to look for

Present students with a list of 5 two-digit numerals (e.g., 34, 81, 55, 19, 70). Ask them to write the corresponding number name for each. Check for accuracy in spelling and representation of tens and ones.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with spoken practice using flashcards of number names and numerals to build familiarity before introducing writing. Use Indian English conventions consistently, such as the hyphen in 'twenty-one'. Avoid rushing students; allow time to hear, see, and write each number multiple times within the same lesson. Research shows that repeated, varied exposure in short bursts improves retention more than long, single exposures.

By the end of these activities, students will write two-digit numerals from number names with 90% accuracy and convert numerals back to names correctly. They will also explain how the tens and ones places determine the spelling and value of the number.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Flashcard Match, watch for students who confuse 'fourteen' with 'forty' due to similar sounds.

  Ask them to place the flashcards side by side on the chart: write 'four-teen' under 14 and 'forty' under 40, then read both aloud slowly, tapping the place-value positions.

• During Numeral to Name Relay, watch for students who write 'twenty one' without a hyphen or space.

  Have them refer to the hyphen chart at the station and rewrite the name correctly on their worksheet before moving on.

• During Number Name Bingo, watch for students who reverse digits in 'thirty-two' to write 23.

  Direct them to the place-value chart and use an arrow to trace from 'thirty' to 'two' left to right, emphasizing that the tens digit comes first.

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Methods used in this brief

• RAFT Writing