Have a Struggling Math Student? Try Building Number Sense!
Maybe you have noticed that your child needs more number sense. What does that mean? Today I’m answering that question and sharing with you simple, affordable and fun activities you can do with your child to build number sense--even for the busy parent!
Having number sense means that you have a good handle on what a number is, how much it is, and how much it compares to other amounts. There are some basic activities that you can do at home with your child that will help build a foundational number sense that will help them throughout their school career.
If you have a struggling math student, you might find the reason why they are having difficulty is a lack of number sense.
As is the case with any skill we learn in life, some people take more repetition that others. It doesn’t mean they can’t learn or that they cannot reach goals. As parents, we have to persevere and keep trying, always keeping an open mind that if something isn’t working after a while, we can tweak our plan.
That said, here are some ideas you can try with your child throughout your day, in the evening, or on weekends (whenever you have the time).
1) Involve your child in daily math activities
Measuring in cooking or home projects (measuring cup, measuring tape)
Counting (place your finger on each thing you count)
Telling time (especially with an analogue clock; having one on the wall to refer to makes it MUCH more meaningful)
Speed limits
Outside temperature with a thermometer
Exit signs
Purchasing items (allowance money; account for tax)
Sharing things (demonstrate division, and fractions, and remainders)
When you are talking to your children about real world events that involve numbers, you are allowing them to learn little by little. They don’t have to understand it completely in one sitting. Discussing math as it comes up in real life also gives them a PURPOSE for learning it. It matters in the real world. It matters when someone hands you change and something doesn’t seem right. That’s number sense!
2) Count, count, count!
Many children who are new to counting are likely to skip some numbers or have one that just causes trouble for them. That is normal! But, find every opportunity you can to count with them, especially up to 20, then 50, and eventually 100. A child will learn to count out loud before they can effectively count objects in that amount.
I started by counting with my child when we walked up the stairs to bed each night. It was part of our routine. I was working full time and didn’t get to be with him all day along. Another fantastic opportunity is in a parking lot, walking into the store. Sitting at a stoplight? Tell your kids, “Hey, let’s see how long this stoplight has us waiting. Let’s count and see at what number it turns green!” This is more difficult to do if you aren’t talking to your children or if they are glued to a screen, so I urge you to do a self-check on how your family is performing in that area.
My little girl really thought it was interesting to count to 100. She wanted to have something she was PROUD of. And to her, counting to 100 was huge! I printed off a hundreds chart for her to color and have in her room just to count “for fun.” You can find printable hundreds charts that have traceable numbers or blanks for your child to fill in. Make it fun by allowing them to write with a dry erase marker. All you have to do is put it in a sheet protector.
Counting is more than just verbally saying the numbers. It’s also counting objects and sorting them in a way to help simplify larger amounts. You can sort items into groups of 5 and groups of 10 (even if it’s bite sized cereal). You have a wonderful opportunity to teach skip counting. Before counting, take a GUESS or ESTIMATE of how many your child “thinks” is the total.
3) Use hands-on activities, manipulatives, and math tools
Manipulatives are anything that you can hold, count, put into groups, etc. Technically, you could use pieces of candy or cereal as manipulatives (depending on if your child has self-control to not eat them all first). Here is what I use if I’m actually sitting down with my child to play with numbers:
COUNTING BLOCKS
I love that they are colorful! They connect, so that means I can have some fun with making patterns, which is math related also. But here is how I’ve used them with number sense:
TALKING AND ASK QUESTIONS
Count how many blocks are in this group.
Double or triple check to be sure you are correct and put your finger on it.
Teach them to group things into groups of 5 and 10 so they can skip count.
Give your child two groups and ask them which is MORE, LESS.
Ask them HOW MUCH MORE is this group? HOW MUCH LESS is this group?
Ask them to make the smaller group the same amount. Then ask, HOW MANY MORE DO YOU NEED?
Using words like MORE and LESS adds to number sense. Using words like GREATER THAN, LESS THAN also helps.
Ask them to add or connect TWO MORE, or add or connect ONE MORE
You can also say,
Take away ONE, YOU NEED TWO LESS
Once your child is working up to the number 10, you may choose to purchase some base 10 blocks. However, most base 10 block activities can be practiced with these connecting cubes.
BASE 10 BLOCKS
Show the number 13: You would want the cubes connected in a group of 10 and then 3 off to the side separated.
There is a link to base 10 blocks here:
https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/044527/Hands-On-Math-Base-Ten-Blocks.html
Some free base 10 blocks online can be found easily by searching for “virtual base 10 blocks.”
https://www.coolmath4kids.com/manipulatives/base-ten-blocks
If you’re unsure of the types of things you can do with BASE 10 blocks, you can do an internet search for “base 10 worksheets,” which will give you things to do. Your child doesn’t have to do the worksheet, but do the problems using your manipulatives!
RELATING NUMBER BONDS, ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION
**When building a number, I like to use the base ten system, so 18 would be a 10 and an 8. If this seems too easy for your child and he is consistently getting them correct, ask for other ways to make 18 and allow your child to fill in a template like ___ + ____= 18
See how many ways your child can come up with. Let him write in marker. This is not some official assignment. Have fun with it. Play school, if your child likes that sort of thing and allow him to make a chart.
There are two parts that make up the whole group.
You might choose to look at patterns like doubles:
4 + 4 makes 8. 4 is half of 8, for example. You can continue with the other doubles, using words like “half of” or “twice as many.”
Number Lines
Remember when I mentioned home projects earlier? Did you ever realize that a measuring cup, measuring tape and even an analogue clock are really just number lines? So is a thermometer!
Giving your child experiences with these items and talking about them will go far. However, filling in the blanks of a number line will also build number sense. You can start as basic as counting to 10 and filling in the missing numbers. You can find sections of number lines with three digit numbers or even number lines with fractions in them.
Maybe your child struggles with decimals or money. There are number lines for those as well!
You can make your own number line online with a number line generator. You may choose an online service or app that also gives practice with number lines.
Sometimes, sitting there looking online takes a while, so I make my own!
When I’ve needed a fast number line to demonstrate something to my child (maybe even using it as a tool to add or subtract), I can turn a lined sheet of paper to landscape and use the blue lines as tickmarks and the red margin as the line. Remember, you can make the number line horizontal or vertical!
Something I used in the very early days with my children was the Starfall app on the ipad. You can also use it on a computer. For an entire year on multiple devices, you can get a family membership for $35. It’s easy for young children to navigate. There is a math section that will include all of these number sense activities for your child to try when you are busy. I highly recommend it.
I’m sure you can find many more games and apps, but just be sure to try them out first yourself and look for the key elements I’ve described so far: real world math, counting, and manipulatives, such as timelines and base ten blocks.
The better foundation a child has in number sense, the less likely he will need intervention in math later on.
Remember, YOU are your child’s most influential teacher.