Before, Between, or After a Number Up to 10

When we count numbers up to 10, every number has a place in a line. The number that comes right before a number is one less than it. The number that comes right after is one more than it. And when we talk about a number that is between two numbers, we mean the number (or numbers) that sit in the gap between them.

For example, look at the number 6. The number before 6 is 5, and the number after 6 is 7. If we are asked what number is between 5 and 7, the answer is 6, because 6 sits right in the middle of that gap.

A number line is one of the easiest tools for figuring out before, between, and after. Numbers are lined up in order from smallest to largest, so all a student needs to do is look one step to the left for "before," one step to the right for "after," or check what sits in the middle for "between."

Practicing with a number line up to 10 makes this skill much easier because it turns an abstract idea into something a child can see and point to.

To find the number before a given number, count back by one.

• Start at the given number.
• Count backward one step.
• The number you land on is the number that comes before.

Example: What number comes before 8? Starting at 8 and counting back one step lands on 7, so the number before 8 is 7.

To find the number after a given number, count forward by one.

• Start at the given number.
• Count forward one step.
• The number you land on is the number that comes after.

Example: What number comes after 3? Starting at 3 and counting forward one step lands on 4, so the number after 3 is 4.

This is the same forward-and-backward counting skill covered in counting forward and backward, so if this step feels new, that lesson is a great place to build the basics first.

Finding a number between two given numbers means looking at what sits in the gap.

• Look at the two numbers given, for example 4 and 6.
• Count the numbers that come after the first one and before the second one.
• The number that fits in the gap, in this case 5, is the number between.

Sometimes a question asks for more than one number between, such as the numbers between 2 and 6. In that case the answer includes every number in the gap: 3, 4, and 5.

Fill in the missing numbers: ___, 5, ___

The number before 5 is 4, and the number after 5 is 6, so the completed set is 4, 5, 6.

Another example: What number is between 7 and 9? Counting forward from 7 gives 8, and counting backward from 9 also gives 8, so the number between 7 and 9 is 8.

Children get faster at this skill with repeated, playful practice. Try mixing in related activities like counting up or down up to 10 to reinforce the direction of counting, or use simple worksheets with number lines and blanks to fill in. Saying the numbers out loud while pointing to each one on a number line also helps connect the spoken counting sequence to the written numbers.

Related lessons

• Kindergarten