Number Sense

Natasha Dash- 905- Module 4

As a Kindergarten teacher, I have a lot of experience teaching number sense. According to Hutchinson and
Specht, “students with good number sense move effortlessly between quantity in multiple ways, depending
on context and purpose” (2019, p. 246). The BC curriculum states that in Kindergarten students are expected
to know the following:
• Number concepts to 10
o Counting:
§ One to one correspondence
§ Conservation
§ Cardinality
§ Stable order counting
§ Sequencing 1-10
§ Linking sets to numeral
§ Subitizing
o Using counting collections made of local materials
o Counting to 10 in more than one language, including local First Peoples Language or Languages.
• Ways to make 5
o Perceptual subitizing (e.g., I see 5)
o Conceptual subitizing (e.g., I see 4 and 1)
o Comparing quantities, 1-10
o Using concrete materials to show ways to make 5
o Traditional First Peoples counting method involved using fingers to count to 5 and for groups of
5
• Decomposition of numbers to 10
o Decomposing and recomposing quantities to 10
o Numbers can be arranged and recognized
o Benchmarks of 5 and 10
o Making 10
o Part-part-whole thinking
o Using concrete materials to show ways to make 10
o Whole class number talks
 • Change in quantity to 10, using concrete materials
o Generalizing change by adding 1 or 2
o Modelling and describing number relationships through change (e.g., build and change tasks-
begin with four cubes, what do you need to do to change to six? To change it to 3?)
(Province of British Columbia, n.d.)

Deedee Wills’ blog post Number Sense Activities: Making Ten! answers the questions What is number
sense? and Why is it important? Wills features six activities and ideas on how to teach number sense when
supporting kindergarten and first grade students (Wills, 2019).

According to Wills research, “Number sense is the fluidity and flexibility with numbers. It is a child’s
ability to use and understand numbers, and also identify number relationships in order to solve mathematical
problems” (2019). Typically, in my class we explore sorting and patterning at the beginning of the year and
then we move into number concepts. We start with subitizing first. According to Wills “in Kindergarten,
children begin identifying small groups of numbers without counting them. This is called subitizing and is a
beginning skill in number sense” (2019). In my experience, students who develop a strong number sense enjoy
our math sessions more and show a greater confidence in their math abilities than those students who do not
have a strong number sense.

Wills (2019) features six activities and ideas to support kindergarten and first grade students in developing
a strong number sense. The activities include:
• Mentor Text- Wills uses picture books, such as Ten for Me by Barbara Maricoda, to show students
different ways to make 10. I really enjoy pairing my math lessons with picture books. A few examples
of books I like to use to teach number sense include: Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews, Chicka Chicka
123 by Bill Martin Jr., Number Tales by Liza Charlesworth and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
by Eileen Christelow. I think using picture books to teach math concepts is a great strategy in both the
classroom and Learning Assistance Room.
• Whole Group Lessons- Through spiraled instruction (when skills are broken up and taught across
several points in the year), Wills suggest various lessons from her teacher pay teacher store such as
“Ways to Show 10” that can be taught to the whole class. I do a “Ways to Show…” lesson for each
number 1-10. I like to start with whole group instruction when modeling a new concept (scaffolding a
lesson) and differentiating instruction. In my experience, it is super helpful if a Learning Support
Teacher is supporting/co-teaching in the classroom during a whole group lesson.
 • Small-Group Instruction- Wills suggest various lessons for meeting the needs of struggling students
and excelling students from her teacher pay teacher store. Her lessons include literature connections
that can be taught to small groups. She also offers a separate blog post with resources about “Small
Math Groups”. I believe there are many benefits to small group instruction in the classroom but
routines, expectations, and classroom managements strategies need to be established in order for
small group instruction to be effective, efficient and successful. Small group instruction might be easier
in a Learning Assistance Room simply because there would be less students in the room. Students in
small groups in the Learning Assistance Room would get more direct instruction with fewer
distractions.
• Centres- Wills suggests independent math centres which include worksheets, games, and books. I love
including math stations in my centres in Kindergarten. The students thrive when practicing and re-
enforcing strategies taught by using hands-on activities and games. Some popular games in my class
include Math Bump and Roll it/Write it/Count it. Centres in the classroom are useful when you want to
work with a small group and you want the rest of the class to be focused on other activities.
• Videos- Wills lists various videos that reinforce number sense. My class enjoys Jack Hartmann’s videos.
Hartmann’s Subitizing Rock to 10, Subitize Super-Fast, and Subitize Country Style are a couple of their
favourites! The videos are very engaging, and I often hear my students singing the songs long after we
have moved onto a new concept. Videos could effectively be used in the both the Learning Assistance
Room and classroom.

Overall, I think Deedee Wills’ blog post Number Sense Activities: Making Ten! would be a good
introduction for early primary educators wondering what number sense is, why it is important and how to
teach it (Wills, 2019).
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 References

Hutchinson, N., & Specht, J. (2019). Inclusion of Learners with Exceptionalities in Canadian Schools: A Practical

Handbook for Teachers, Sixth Edition (6th ed.). Pearson Canada.

Province of British Columbia. (n.d.). BC’s Curriculum: Mathematics K. Building Student Success - B.C.

Curriculum. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/mathematics/k/core

Wills, D. (2019, January 29). Number sense activities making ten in kindergarten and first grade. Mrs. Wills

Kindergarten. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://mrswillskindergarten.com/number-sense-activities/