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Math Strands

Types

for

Audience

Special Topics

Number Sense

Number sense is the ability to understand the quantity of a set and the name associated with that quantity. Strong number sense developed in the early years is a key building block of learning arithmetic in the primary grades, as it connects counting to quantities, solidifies and refines the understanding of more and less, and helps children estimate quantities and measurements.

Copyright: Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative. Reprinted from Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know (2014), Pearson Education.

Number sense involves some Big Ideas that can be explored with children, such as:

  • The quantity of a small collection can be intuitively perceived without counting.
  • Quantity is an attribute of a set of objects and we use numbers to name specific quantities.
  • Numbers are used in many ways, some more mathematical than others.
preschool books number sense
Series: Book Ideas

3 Magic Cauldron Books for Kids to Mathematize the Season

October 6, 2015

One of the most classic images of the Halloween season is a witch's magic pot or cauldron. Singing about witches' brew and reading tales of magical pots can also be a great way to introduce math concepts... as long as you find the right book! Below are three of our favorite magic cauldron tales that could be introduced during the Halloween season (or any time) to spark discussion around important math ideas such as doubling, capacity, and measurement.

  • Topic: Number Sense, Measurement
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade
  • Tags Seasonal, Food, Holiday, Books, Capacity, Two of Everything, Lily Toy Hong, The Magic Porridge Pot, Paul Galdone, Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola
EMTR005-1 k-5 math teaching resources
Series: Focus on the Child June 11, 2015

Comparing Quantity with Child 4

A child compares two small sets of wooden cubes.

  • Topic: Number Sense
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten
  • Tags English Language Learner, Comparing, Gesture, Child 4
Series: Focus on the Child June 11, 2015

Recognizing Quantity with Child 1

A child selects a card with a given number of dots.

  • Topic: Number Sense
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten
  • Tags Subitizing, Child 1
Series: Focus on the Child June 11, 2015

Matching Quantity with Child 3

A child produces a small set of counters to match a shown quantity.

  • Topic: Number Sense
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K
  • Tags Subitizing, Child 3
EMTR010-1 teaching kids math
Series: Focus on the Child June 11, 2015

Estimating Quantity with Child 3

A student approximates the number of cubes in collections of increasing quantity.

  • Topic: Number Sense
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten
  • Tags Estimation, Unifix Cubes, Comparing, Child 3
Series: Ideas at Work October 3, 2014

First Grade Number Talks Ideas from a First Grade Teacher

This blog post provides some great ideas for first grade Number Talks sessions. These 10-15 minute activities can be centered around the rekenrek or dot cards and are designed to reinforce students’ understanding of number…

  • Topic: Number Sense, Number Operations
  • Age/Grade Level: 1st Grade
  • Tags Number Talks, Rekenrek, Dot cards
how-to-use-a-rekenrek
Series: Video from Others September 29, 2014

How to Use a Rekenrek

The video gives a great overview of how to use a rekenrek. It also provides a few specific examples of problems that you could give to your students.

  • Topic: Number Sense, Number Operations
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade
  • Tags Subitizing, Rekenrek
Series: About Early Math August 26, 2014

For Kids, Learning Math Comes Naturally

This RadioLab story asks whether one can live without using math. As babies and kids learning math and counting, do we understand complex concepts more than we think? Experts point out that babies seem to…

  • Topic: Number Sense, Counting
  • Age/Grade Level: Infants, Toddlers, Pre-K, Kindergarten
EXTL322 school change and reform
Series: About Early Math, About the Collaborative May 22, 2014

What School Change and Reform Looks Like with Early Math Collaborative

In this hour-long webinar, the Big Ideas of number sense are explored. This leads to a discussion about real-world change in the classroom, resulting in better understanding amongst teachers and more in-depth math comprehension amongst…

  • Topic: Number Sense
  • Age/Grade Level: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade
math problems for 2nd grade
Series: Ideas at Work April 9, 2014

Exploring “Math Talks” with Math Problems for 2nd Grade and Beyond

The Math Talk instructional strategy emphasizes spoken communication around a series of carefully crafted math problems. “They challenge my students to be more specific in their reflections,

  • Topic: Number Sense, Number Operations
  • Age/Grade Level: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade
  • Tags Number Talks
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