Kindergarten Missing Numbers Worksheet: Count Up and Fill the Gaps

Most five-year-olds can recite one to ten in a single breath, but ask them what comes just after six and many have to start again from one. This kindergarten missing numbers worksheet trains that skill of jumping into the count. At the top, three wavy paths link colored circles with empty ones, so your child counts up and writes the missing numbers. Below, six strips run from 1 to 9 with one number gone, and your child writes it in the circle at the end. The PDF has two pages, the worksheet and its answer key.

Why starting in the middle matters

Saying the numbers from one is a chant. Starting from five and going on is a different skill, and it shows the child knows number order, not just the song.

The paths on this page ask for exactly that. For example, one path begins with an empty circle, then 6, so the child must think backward one step. Another runs from 3 all the way to an empty circle after 9.

The strips at the bottom work in a new way. Each one shows a full number sequence from 1 to 9 with one gap, so the child reads along and notices what is missing. As a result, the page builds both counting up and careful scanning. Order, not only rhythm.

At the table: the path that ends after 9

Start with the first path. Point to the 6 and ask, "What comes just before six? And after?"

The second path holds the hardest moment. Its last empty circle comes after 9, and the strips below stop at 9, so a child may leave it blank. Instead of correcting, ask, "What comes after nine? Count it on your fingers." Then let them write the 10, even if it comes out big.

On the strips, watch the one that starts 1, 3, 4. The gap is so early that the eye slides past it. Say, "Read it to me out loud, one tap per number."

Finally, look at the answer key together and compare the circles.

Stairs, hopscotch and counting from anywhere

Counting to ten from the middle is easy to practice on the move. On the stairs, stop halfway and ask, "We are on step four. What is the next one?" Then climb and count on.

Hopscotch fits this sheet well. Chalk the squares with numbers 1 to 10, but leave one square blank. While your child hops, they call out each number, including the missing one.

At home, line up a few numbered cards, hide one under a cup and ask which one went away. Also, ask your child to point to each card while saying it.

When you finish the page, name the effort: "You counted on from six without going back to one."