Number Sense Activities and Lessons for Kids

The math tips and strategies you need for building number sense to 20 are right here. You will have everything you need to quickly implement and bring a wealth of number sense activities, games, and centers into your classroom or home.

 

Why is Building Number Sense Important?

Children need opportunities to learn and experience numbers. Learning to count, identify numbers, and understand quantity are a few of the essential concepts. Repeated experiences build understanding and fluency with numbers. These experiences help expand knowledge and learn new ideas. A strong number sense is vital for future understanding of more complex math topics.

Make time for fun and engaging number activities daily and watch fluency develop.

 

Number Sense Concepts & Activities

 

1. Build Number Sense Through Counting

Repeated oral counting helps them hear what numbers sound like and to learn their order. Using math manipulatives, like counting chips, can help build a connection to verbal counting and counting objects. This one-to-one counting is an important skill that needs to be practiced often.

Activities

• Count out loud as a class starting at one and building to higher and higher numbers.
• Sit with a partner or in a circle and take turns counting by 1’s.
• As counting develops, teach number patterns and counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.
• Use a number chart to see what numbers look like visually. Point to each number as it is said.
• Encourage kids to practice one-to-one counting with small objects. Have small groups of objects set up in a centre for them to count.

 

2. Build Number Sense by Matching Numbers to Quantities

Provide materials for kids to count and connect with objects and numbers. This encourages children to see that numbers are more than words. Teach children that numbers have many representations, such as dots, fingers, counters, numerals, objects, ten frames, etc.

Activities

• Match two different types of objects together, such as five counting bears and a domino that shows five dots.
• Use links to create a number chain for a number.
• Work up to showing quantity with more than two types of objects (as seen in the photo).
• Have many different items available for activities, such as dice, dominoes, number magnets, bears, counting chips, cubes, and number cards.
• Match number cards from a card deck or game of Uno with dots on dominoes. Find every number combination on the dominoes.
• Complete number puzzles that have a different number representation on each piece. They help kids see that numbers can be modelled in many ways.
• Encourage one-to-one counting with clip cards. Kids count groups of objects and clip the numeral that matches to the correct quantity.
• Ten frames are great for organizing numbers so that they can be easily counted. Matching numeral cards with ten frame representations is simple, yet effective at connecting quantity with numbers.

3. Build Number Sense with Number of the Day

When kids see numbers in many ways at once in a repeatedly, their number sense develops. Pick a number of the day starting at one and dissect it during your math block.

Activities

• Learn about a specific number for each day that you have been at school. Teach and dissect that number during calendar time. Represent that number on a number line, count to that number, show that number with straws or cubes, etc.
• Use a number of the day poster or anchor chart to break numbers down. Create your number of the day poster with the FREE poster templates.
• Encourage kids to participate and show their understanding on paper or mini whiteboards. Ask a question, such as “How do we show 5 with tally marks?” and allow them time to try on their own. This makes an excellent fluency building warm-up to math lessons.
• Read more tips on starting a number of the day routine in your classroom.

 

4. Build Number Sense by Ordering Numbers

Provide opportunities for kids to put numbers in order. While they put numbers or objects with numbers on them into the correct order, they are counting and building number sense.

Activities

• Provide opportunities with using a number line and number chart that puts numbers in order for us.
• Give sets of numbers to order correctly by finding them on the number line.
• Cover different numbers on a number chart with sticky notes and ask kids for the missing numbers.
• Build Legostacks by putting the pieces together in an order written on the blocks.
• Work together with a partner to order number cards from 0 to 20. Create a number caterpillar like the one seen below.
• Number puzzles are a fun way to order numbers. Put the strips in the right order to reveal a picture.
• Puzzles are simple and easy to create. Take an old puzzle and write numbers on the back of each piece.
• Grab a piece of paper and write numbers in rows. Cut out pieces randomly and trade with a partner. Put the puzzle back together again for practice.
• Complete a number order maze starting at 0. This activity can be reused when put into a pocket protector.

 

5. Reading and Writing Numerals

Kids are constantly surrounded by numbers in their environment. They quickly learn to recognize the individual numerals 0 to 9 through different experiences. Continue to encourage this familiarity by having numbers on the wall. Posters, number lines, and calendars are helpful tools.

Activities

• Build numbers with play dough in a math centre. Even something as simple as this play dough numbers activity here.
• Print numbers from 0 to 9 daily in different ways – in booklets, on whiteboards during math lessons, etc.
• Draw numbers on paper and give students do-a-dot markers or bingo dabbers to dot numbers.
• Trace numbers frequently and repeatedly to build coordination and correct form. The mini-book below encourages this, as well as locating numbers.
• Encourage the correct formation of numbers by teaching it explicitly
• Catchy number poems help students visualize and remember number formation. Use your whole body to make actions or draw in the air.

 

Source: https://proudtobeprimary.com/building-number-sense-to-20/

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