Support early number recognition and positional understanding with our Identifying & Writing Ordinal Numbers Assessment: Foundation. This curriculum-aligned resource is designed to assess students’ ability to identify, interpret and write ordinal numbers to at least 20, using visual prompts and familiar scenes to make abstract concepts more accessible and engaging.

The assessment features three interactive tasks: identifying positions in a grid, interpreting ordinal clues in a car race, and writing missing ordinal numbers using correct spelling and notation. These activities encourage the use of visual scanning, oral language, and early literacy skills while reinforcing mathematical understanding of order and position.

Identifying & Writing Ordinal Numbers Assessment can be used for formative or summative assessment and is ideal for use during small group instruction, intervention sessions or end-of-unit reviews. It includes an editable assessment rubric aligned to the Australian Curriculum as well as an answer sheet to help save you time and ensure consistency in reporting.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Recognise and interpret ordinal numbers to at least 20
• ✅ Use ordinal terms to describe the position of objects and people
• ✅ Accurately spell and format ordinal numbers (e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd)
• ✅ Follow positional instructions using ordinal language
• ✅ Apply number knowledge in real-world and visual contexts

What’s Included:

• Student assessment worksheet (3 differentiated sections)
• Australian Curriculum-aligned assessment rubric (editable)
• Teacher answer sheet for quick and consistent marking
• Colourful visual prompts including animal grids and car race scenes

Materials Needed:

• Printed assessment sheets
• Pencils, crayons or coloured markers
• Classroom number line or ordinal display (optional support)
• Clipboard or writing surface if working in small groups

How to Use:

1. Introduce ordinal numbers through a warm-up activity like a line-up or chant.
2. Hand out the assessment and read through the instructions together.
3. Students complete each section independently or in supported groups.
4. Use the included rubric to assess accuracy, understanding and application.
5. Review results to inform next steps in teaching or intervention planning.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as an end-of-unit summative assessment for ordinal numbers
• 💡 Include in small group intervention to target specific learning gaps
• 💡 Incorporate into data collection for reporting or parent-teacher interviews
• 💡 Display ordinal number anchor charts to support understanding during the task
• 💡 Create a real-life ordinal walk around the classroom before the assessment

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Model pointing and counting aloud to support accurate identification
• 💛 Display a classroom ordinal number line as a visual reference
• 💛 Extend learning with an ordinal obstacle course or classroom scavenger hunt
• 💛 Encourage correct spelling by practising ordinal numbers in daily warm-ups
• 💛 Use the rubric as a moderation tool with teaching teams for consistent reporting

Identifying & Writing Ordinal Numbers Assessment: Foundation is a practical and visually engaging tool for tracking student progress in early maths. It offers meaningful insight into positional language and number awareness—perfect for use at the end of a unit or to inform next teaching steps.