Building Number Sense

 Building 

Number 

Sense

 

It's so important to build number sense. The best way to do this is through daily routines.

Here are some examples:
Counting collections  

This is where kids are given large groups of items and they count them.  You see their number sense developing more and more deeply.  If you want a more detailed description, visit this blog post. 

Choral Counting 

Here is an example.
3   6   9   12   15   18   21   24   27   30
33 36 39  42  45    48   51  54   57  60 
63 66 69  72  75    78   81  84   87   90

Start at the 3.  Have kids count chorally.  Chart them.  What patterns do you see?  If that is the count thirty times,  what number would be the 36th?  What patterns do you see diagonally?  Vertically?

Do this with many different numbers.  Start at different points.  Try this with time, decimals, and fractions.  The sky is the limit!


True/False sentences 

Chart this:   26 = 14 + 13
Is this sentence true or false.  This is a mental exercise.  Use hand signals to indicate true, false or still thinking.  Have kids explain their thinking whether it is right or wrong.  Then put up another related problem.  Maybe, 
26= 14 + 12 or 14 + 14 = 26.


Mystery Numbers 

What number is odd?  Is the same two digits?  Is a multiple of 3?   33!  That's how mystery numbers works.


How many ways? 

Think of a number.  For example: How many ways can you make 106?  Think addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problems.  Can be place value blocks, money etc..

Here are just some of the things you can do to get started on number sense.  If you need a little help, try my CGI Math Number talks package!