3 activities to support developing number sense with children. All can be used across KS1 or KS2 with differentiation and difficulty all adaptable by the teacher.
Pigeons "were taught to order 35 different sets of images, all of which displayed one, two, or three items. Then, the setup changed: values up to nine were introduced. The pigeons were then shown a pair of two familiar numbers (such as two and three), one familiar and one unfamiliar number (such as one and seven), or two unfamiliar numbers (such as five and eight). "
People as well as animals are born with a sense for numbers. But is this inborn number sense related to mathematical ability? A new study suggests that it is.
"Abstract
What does it mean to have random numbers? Without understanding where a group of
numbers came from, it is impossible to know if they were randomly generated. However,
common sense claims that if the process to generate these numbers is truly understood,
then the numbers could not be random. Methods that are able to let their internal
workings be known without sacrificing random results are what this paper sets out to
describe. Beginning with a study of what it really means for something to be random, this
paper dives into the topic of random number generators and summarizes the key areas. It
covers the two main groups of generators, true-random and pseudo-random, and gives
practical examples of both. To make the information more applicable, real life examples
of currently used and currently available generators are provided as well. Knowing the
how and why of a number sequence without knowing the values that will come is
possible, and this thesis explains how it is accomplished."
Scientists have for the first time established a link between a primitive, intuitive sense of numbers and performance in math classes, a finding that could lead to new ways to help children struggling in school.
Numbers in the brain, including those of animals and infants, neurons and brain areas involved in mathematical calculations, synthesis of recent research
According to Nancy Kimberly of HASTAC, this set of video games won the 1st National STEM Video Game Challenge: "Numbaland!, produced by graduate students Derek Lomas of Carnegie Mellon University, Dixie Ching of New York University and Jeanine Sun of the University of California at San Diego, was the winner of the Collegiate and Impact Prizes and will receive $50,000 in total. The collection of four games allows children in kindergarten to grade 4 to construct a set of skills that helps develop their sense of number concepts"
Each day of the school year I present my students with an estimation challenge. I love helping my students improve both their number sense and problem solving skills. I'd like to share the estimation challenges with you and your students. Here's a handout for your students. Happy Estimating!
Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development, Inc. (SEED) offers creative math puzzles, with solutions. Puzzle categories include:
* Number Sense
* Arithmetic
* Probability
* Algebraic Thinking
* Geometry, Spatial Reasoning, and Visualization
* Topology
* Logic
* Combinatorics
* Miscellaneous
Abstract: "An innovative mathematics game shown to be effective for low-achieving mainstream students is tested in special education for learners with intellectual disabilities. The game relies on a graphical, intuitive representation for numbers and arithmetic operations to foster conceptual understanding and numbers sense, and provides a set of 2-player games to develop strategic thinking and reasoning skills. The game runs on computers and interactive white boards, and as an augmented reality application at a science centre. We compare its use in special education and mainstream education with respect to usage, performance levels and learning gain. The game has been used by teachers in special educations, with gains in mathematical understanding, strategic thinking and communication skills as effects."
Teaching math to elementary students is critical for establishing a foundation of success in mathematics. There is a need for some basic memorization of facts, because students who do not memorize arithmetic functions struggle in upper grades.
However, math must be fun and interesting, along with making connections with real-world applications.