Number Sense

Number sense is the foundation for teaching children mathematics.

A sense of numbers is critical for primary students to develop math problem solving skills.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics increasingly calls for districts to give more attention to building this skill.

Some schools even purchase math educational software to aid them.

Number sense accounts for 66% of the variance in first grade math achievement.


A study by Jordan, Locuniak, Ramineni and Kaplan entitled Predicting First-Grade Math Achievement from Developmental Number Sense Trajectories, it was shown that "early sense of numbers (sic) is a reliable and powerful predictor of math achievement at the end of first grade."

What is Number Sense in Children?

Operationally, it is counting skills, having number knowledge, using estimation, and the ability to use math problem solving strategies.



Knowing the why of how numbers work is of utmost importance.

Children should not be shown the how until they understand the "why."


This means that inquiry-based approaches to teaching children mathematics should be utilized as primary teaching methods in the early grades.

Math card games and math games using dice are excellent for this.

This is not to say that explicit teaching of sense of numbers skills is not essential, especially for those students from low socio-economic status. But it is saying that teachers should provide multiple opportunities for students to experience numbers and make connections before putting the pencil to paper.

Activities for Building Number Sense

1. Link school math to real-world experiences
Present students with situations that relate to both inside and outside classroom experiences. Students need to recognize that numbers are useful for solving problems.

2. Model different computing methods
Focus on what methods make sense for different situations. There is no one right way to compute. We need our students to be flexible thinkers.

3. Mental Math
Real life requires mental computation. Students need to be able to move numbers around in their heads and discuss their strategies.

4. Discuss Strategies
Students must be able to explain their reasoning. This not only will give you insight into how they think, but also will help the children to cement their own ideas and reevaluate them.

5. Estimate
This should be embedded in problem solving. This is not referring to textbook rounding. Real life estimation is about making sense of a problem and using anchor numbers to base reasoning on.

6. Question Students About Reasoning Strategies
All the time, not just when they make a mistake. Constantly probing sends several important messages: your ideas are valued, math is about reasoning, and there are always alternative ways to look at a problem.

7. Measuring Activities
When teaching children mathematics, measuring activities should be front and center. Make students verify estimates through doing.

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