Number sense is such an important math concept in the primary classroom. Without a strong foundation in number sense, our students are likely to struggle with math for years to come. Today we're going to be taking a deep dive into number sense, why it matters, and how to weave it into your daily classroom routine. Yes, really! Daily number sense activities are completely doable when you've got the right plan in place.
What is Number Sense and Why Does It Matter?
First things first... what exactly is number sense? This term simply refers to our ability to understand, relate, and connect numbers. In the primary classroom, these skills are built over time with a variety of activities that allow children to work with numbers. Things like understanding quantity, more or less, and recognizing the relationships between numbers are all examples of number sense in action.
A strong foundation in number sense will lay the path for future success in math. If a student never grasps some of these more basic concepts, they will continue to struggle day after day. It also promotes confidence in math and encourages flexible thinking. As children work with numbers and increase in understanding, their confidence will also increase. There's nothing better than seeing a student light up with excitement as they solve new math problems!
How To Build Number Sense Skills
So, how do we help our young students develop a strong foundation in math with excellent number sense skills? Over the years, I learned that the honest answer to this question is daily, diligent practice. Now don't worry, this doesn't mean things have to be boring or repetitive. Quite the opposite in fact. I have found that the more variety we can include in our math activities, the better!
I like to use a few different strategies to help my students develop strong number sense skills. The variety not only makes our lessons more fun, but appeals to many different learning styles as well. Here are four simple and fun ways you can build number sense in your classroom.
1. Small Group Learning
This is probably the most important of all the number sense activities in my opinion. There's just nothing quite like small groups when it comes to helping your students learn and master new concepts. In my room, I really want my kids to have FUN in small groups. Why? Because then they will look forward to it, of course!
Because of this, I am all about hands-on learning activities and games in our small groups. I tend to choose activities that can be used independently, or with a partner, as well as easily used to model a specific skill or concept. This allows me to first teach with the materials, then the students get a chance to play with a partner or on their own during centers.
For example, in Month 6 of my Daily Number Sense Activities, you'll find a couple of games that are perfect for this purpose. The first has students choose 2 number cards, make the largest number they can with those cards, and then build the number using base ten blocks. This is such a valuable activity that helps students visualize the largest number possible with their choices, and then break it down into tens and ones. Such a valuable exercise when working towards strong number sense!
The second game in this pack has students choose a number and place it on their mat. Then, they will spin a spinner that has +1, -1, +10, or -10 as the action. They will then finish the sequence with the next 3 numbers based on what they spun. This is an excellent mental math activity that will help your students develop strong number sense skills in a fun way!
2. Number Talks
Speaking of mental math, we can't forget number talks in the quest towards better number sense. Number talks are short, 10-15 minute interactive math exercises that you can use in your classroom. It's a bit like a lesson, but instead of you, the teacher, doing all the modeling, your students will do it. They will answer a problem or question and also talk you through how they got there. This is where the big learning happens! And the hardest part. . . learning to step back and let the students do the talking. I've found that by asking questions like "How do you know?" or "Why did you think/do that?" I can guide the conversation without taking over.
Number talks are a simple, fun way to help your students visualize the problems they are trying to solve while also building a strong sense of community. Your students will love having the opportunity to share their answers, compare strategies, and verbally process their thinking. This is such a simple activity to implement in the classroom but it has a big payoff when it comes to expanding number sense. Not to mention, they can be used for just about any math concept you're focusing on. For more specific ideas on how to conduct number talks, be sure to check out this post next. Inside you'll get a closer look at how to get started with number talks.
3. Daily Number Sense Practice Pages
Another key component of our process for building number sense in the classroom is my daily number sense worksheets. These allow some targeted practice of specific skills and numbers every day. Plus, since we're working on number sense all year long, these pages build upon each other to continue challenging my students and expanding their number sense skills. But don't worry friends, the pages don't go in numerical order. I discovered that if they were in numerical order, my students would look for a pattern to complete the answers rather than thinking about each number. By mixing it up, they get a new challenge each day!
In my classroom, I actually like to bind a month's worth of pages together for my students to use independently after our small group lessons. The games for each month (which I mentioned in section one) tie into what they are learning in their books, which makes them a great follow-up activity. Each page in the book features a number of the day and is centered around many different activities for that number.
I am all for hands-on learning in my room, so I often encourage my students to use manipulatives like base ten blocks alongside their math pages. Using tactile materials often helps them to further visualize and understand larger numbers and their relation to each other. Another important point about these practice worksheets is that we use them daily. They are part of our routine so that students are sure to get consistent practice that builds upon what they are learning. This is key to continue building a strong foundation in number sense throughout the year.
4. Fun Center Activities
This last idea for building number sense skills in your classroom is my students' favorite. They love center time as many of the activities allow them to get up and move and feel more like games than work. I use this to my advantage by including a few number sense center activities in our rotation every week. After all, if they are having fun, they practically forget they are learning! Here are a couple of examples:
This set of Place Value Write the Room Cards comes in really handy in my room. There are 6 different sets included, so we have plenty of options to choose from. The students will work on math skills such as tens and ones, expanded form, sequence of numbers, comparing numbers, and more. My kids love write-the-room activities, so this one is a no-brainer for me! They each grab a clipboard and recording sheet and walk around the room to solve each card. These activities are versatile too and can also be used for Scoot, independent learning, and even a small group activity.
Another fun option for center time is these Tens and Ones Place Value Clip Cards. I love these because they can be prepped once and then stored away for future use again and again. I like to laminate the cards for durability and store them in a plastic photo box. To use, students will choose a card and determine the number shown in base ten blocks, ten frames, or objects. Then, they use a clothespin to clip the correct number. These are great for helping students practice recognizing numbers in groups of tens and ones. This set comes with 40 task cards as well as 2 worksheets that are great for quick review or assessment.
Making Number Sense Part of Your Day
If you take one thing away from this post, I hope it's that weaving number sense activities into your daily routine doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, by sprinkling some activities in during small groups, centers, whole group learning, and independent work time, I think you'll find that it adds a nice structure to your daily schedule that allows for plenty of math practice time. Before you know it, your students will pick up new skills quickly and easily! This method also allows you to ensure that you're approaching number sense from many different angles as well. We all know that students learn in different ways, so ensuring that you teach in a variety of formats is always a good idea!
If you're looking for more fun activities to build strong number sense skills, you can find all of these and many more in my TPT Shop. I hope you have fun weaving these activities into your lesson plan!
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