Let's think about building number sense the way we think about building muscles. If we want to have strong muscles, we have to do something frequently, every week, every day to strengthen the muscles we're trying to build. For example, when runners train for a race, they don't just cram in miles (well, let's hope not, as a runner myself, I don't) before the big race day. Runners train their body to run a specific distance or number of miles building up to that race distance. Let's take 13.1 miles, the distance of a half marathon. Most training programs have runners begin by running 3-5 miles, then increasing the number of miles as their body is ready for it. Number sense can be thought of in the same way. If a child is working on counting to 10, he/she might begin by only knowing how to count to 5. But if that child has daily opportunities to count and build on that strength of being able to count to 5.... the result will be the child will be able to count to 10. However, if we expect that same child to master counting to 10 the first time it's introduced, without any daily practice, then all we've done is set the child up for frustration! (And ourselves)
So let's think about Number Sense routines in relationship to other daily routines we do. Do you brush your teeth daily, as part of a morning or bedtime routine in hopes of keeping your teeth healthy? Or do you only brush them the day before your dentist appointment? It sounds kind of silly, doesn't it? Here's what I'm seeing and hearing from teachers as I work with them across my district... "He just doesn't have the basics!" "She doesn't know her basic facts!" "They don't understand place value." Many of us feel sometimes like the students are intentionally not learning these things, but I assure you, they aren't purposefully forgetting the basics, the facts, the concept of place value! Students aren't being lazy! Students are just as frustrated as teachers and parents because they don't feel like they're given the opportunities to build their muscles, build their number sense daily!
The classrooms where I've observed or modeled a number sense routine are quite a different story! In these classrooms, teachers aren't stressed about a standardized test as much as they're concerned that students might fall behind (or sometimes further behind) if they don't have 5-10 minutes each day to talk about numbers.
To be continued...
So let's think about Number Sense routines in relationship to other daily routines we do. Do you brush your teeth daily, as part of a morning or bedtime routine in hopes of keeping your teeth healthy? Or do you only brush them the day before your dentist appointment? It sounds kind of silly, doesn't it? Here's what I'm seeing and hearing from teachers as I work with them across my district... "He just doesn't have the basics!" "She doesn't know her basic facts!" "They don't understand place value." Many of us feel sometimes like the students are intentionally not learning these things, but I assure you, they aren't purposefully forgetting the basics, the facts, the concept of place value! Students aren't being lazy! Students are just as frustrated as teachers and parents because they don't feel like they're given the opportunities to build their muscles, build their number sense daily!
The classrooms where I've observed or modeled a number sense routine are quite a different story! In these classrooms, teachers aren't stressed about a standardized test as much as they're concerned that students might fall behind (or sometimes further behind) if they don't have 5-10 minutes each day to talk about numbers.
To be continued...