Have you ever thought about how we know how many toys we have, or what time it is, or even our age?
We do all this using numbers!
Numbers are symbols or words that help us show how many things there are, or the order of something.
Example: If you have 2 apples, the number 2 tells us how many apples you have.
If your birthday is on the 5th of the month, the number 5 tells the position of the date.
So, numbers are all around us in school, at home, while shopping, playing games, or even while watching TV!
What Are Numbers?
Numbers are special symbols we use in math and everyday life.
They help us:
Count things (like 1, 2, 3).
Tell order or position (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Measure things (like 5 kg of rice, 10 cm long scale).
Do sums like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Example:
You have 3 chocolates and your friend gives you 2 more.
With numbers, we can say: 3 + 2 = 5.
Without numbers, this would be very hard to explain!
Counting The Beginning of Numbers
The first step to learning numbers is counting.
Counting means saying numbers in order to know how many objects there are.
Start with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on.
Use real things around you to practice counting.
Example:
Count your fingers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Count fruits in a basket: = 4 apples.
Counting helps us connect numbers to objects.
Different Types of Numbers
Numbers are not just for counting they come in different types.
Lets learn them one by one:
Natural Numbers
These are the numbers we use to count things.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and so on.
Example: 3 bananas, 10 pencils.
Whole Numbers
These are like natural numbers but also include 0.
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Example: If you have 0 chocolates, that means you have none.
Even Numbers
Numbers that can be divided into two equal groups.
2, 4, 6, 8, 10
Example: If you have 6 candies, you can share them equally between 2 friends (3 each).
Odd Numbers
Numbers that cannot be divided equally into two groups.
1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Example: If you have 5 candies and 2 friends, one friend will get more than the other.
Numbers Show Position (Ordinal Numbers)
Numbers are also used to show the position of something.
These are called ordinal numbers.
Example:
In a race, if you come first, we write it as 1st.
The second person is 2nd.
The third person is 3rd.
So, ordinal numbers tell us the order: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Where Do We Use Numbers in Daily Life?
Numbers are not only in math books they are everywhere in our lives!
Dates: Today is 19th August.
Time: The clock shows 7 o clock.
Shopping: 2 kg sugar costs ¹80.
Bus numbers: Bus No. 25 goes to the park.
Age: I am 8 years old.
