Ms. Nisha's Guide to Number Sense for Kindergarten Children

This is an important resource for all Ontario educators as it is written by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and should be used as a standard to keep learning consistent throughout the province. This document introduces the Big Ideas which educators should focus on while teach Number Sense and Numeration.  It breaks up the mathematical concept into categories such as counting, operational sense, quantity, relationships and representation. Instructional Strategies are provided for each of these categories. Examples of activities are also provided according to grade level.

This resource is beneficial to educators as it provides methods for assessing children’s learning. It provides developmentally appropriate practices and numerous instructional strategies catered to different methods of teaching. This is vital since all children learn differently based on many factors such as prior knowledge. This resource may also be shared with families so that they are aware of curriculum expectations for the following grade levels. The activities provided in this guide are a great resources because they use concrete material, and are play based which will keep young children engaged. 

References

Super Simple Songs-Kids Songs is a YouTube Channel that provides children’s songs. The link I chose shows 10 different songs that are all focused on the concept of Number Sense, more specifically counting from 1 to 20. Each song provides visuals of objects and numerical symbols for children to follow along. Some of the songs introduce the idea of taking away, as well as adding on. Some songs also have themes such as Halloween and Christmas. The images associated to the songs are very colourful and will appeal to children. The songs have a simple tune and are easy to follow along.

This is a great resource for educators. Songs may be introduced on a weekly basis for the class to learn and understand. Activities can be created based on the songs as well. Each song is about a certain number of objects. This resource is helpful with teaching Number Sense because it allows children to follow a sequence of numbers and to see a variety of ways that they can be represented. By following a tune, children may be able to use it to remember what number comes next. Furthermore, the songs can be typed and sent home for parents to sing along with their children to aid in memorizing the sequence of numbers.

References

My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone and Christopher Corr is a lovely storybook for any Kindergarten classroom. The story is told using rhymes, thus making it appealing for children. Each page is about an item which Granny has purchased from different markets around the world. The story starts off with Granny buying one item from Istanbul. The number of items then increases by one on each page, counting up to ten. The book features popular items from the country being referenced, such as Nesting Dolls from Russia and Llamas from Peru. Each page has an illustration of all the things that Granny has already purchased which she adds on.

This is an excellent resource for teaching the concept of Number Sense because it provides wonderful illustration and an engaging narrative for children to follow. While reading, children will be able to predict which number comes next. Children may also follow along by counting the illustrations in the book. This book includes ten countries which some children may be able to identify with and feel a sense of pride to. My Granny Went to Market may be read to a Kindergarten classroom to introduce an activity related to Number Sense. Children may also create their own version of this book by finding items from their home country to count.

References

Blackstone, S. & Corr, C. (2006) Granny went to market. Barefoot Books.

Kids Activities is a blog created by Holly Homer, a mother of 3 who partially home schools her children. This blog provides numerous activities that can be completed at school or at home using household reusable items. Over 125 activities are provided with descriptions for educators and families to follow. Many of the materials and supplies mentioned are great resources because they can be used for a number of activities, such as counting, addition, subtraction and comparing numbers. Activities are also easy to recreate and adapt to different learning needs.

These activities support children’s learning because it provides an assortment of play-based learning ideas which can be done using hands on manipulatives. The activities shown are very interactive and allow children to get excited about math. By having resources which can be increased in complexity, children will be able to gradually challenge themselves by using materials they have already worked with, but seeing these items in a novel way. Once these activities are introduced, children will be able to use them on their own and build their self-esteem the more comfortable they get with the activities. Therefore, this blog provides a great resource for educators and families.

 References

The Number Song is a song with audio-visual prompts, which may help children learn to count from 1 to 10. It uses a catchy rhythm in order to grab children’s interest. There is a lot of repetition with not only the names of numbers but how they are written using numerical symbols as well. The images are very colourful, making it quite appealing to young children. The order of numbers is repeated multiple times as well so that children know which number comes after another. 

This is a wonderful resource for Kindergarten children as it highlights math concepts in a fun way. Playing this song when children are very energized will allow them to release their energy while hearing numbers multiple times. Children will also be able to sing along and use this song when conducting other activities related to Number Sense. The visuals from the video provide an interactive process where children are encouraged to find the numbers on the screen while the song is playing. This will allow children to gain the skill of identifying numbers quickly and finding them in their everyday lives.

  References

Proud to be Primary is a blog by Elyse Rycroft who is a primary teacher in Vancouver. She teaches from Kindergarten to Grade 3, and provides many ideas for lessons on her blog. Her page on Number Sense is a great resource for educators who are looking for new ideas. She writes about why Number Sense is important and how it acts as a foundation for learning other math concepts. She also mentions the importance of saying numbers aloud while using manipulatives so that children may associate the names of numbers to their quantities. This blog provides descriptions of many activities, which are easily accessible and simple but effective. A great idea for teaching Number Sense is to have a “Number of the day” for children to focus on.

 This resource supports Number Sense by providing various activities where children are able to see numbers using a variety of manipulatives. The activities provided use a hands-on approach where children will be able to count aloud and visually see items that match the numbers. Supplies such as “Bingo Stamps” can be used as it would be ideal for children who have not acquired the skill of using ‘pincer grasp’ yet. The activities are easy to modify in order to meet classroom needs and to increase complexity as well as introduce new categories within the concept of Number Sense, such as Comparing Numbers. This blog provides a number of excellent ideas for educators who wish to teach Number sense using concrete manipulatives.

 References

A Pinch of Kinder is the Instagram page of Yukari Naka Sloane, who is a Full Day Kindergarten teacher in Ontario. Both her Instagram page and Blog (http://www.apinchofkinder.com) are an excellent resource for any teacher looking for play-based learning activities. She follows inquiry-based learning methods which keep her students engaged. Her blog has categories to easily find ideas based on what you are focusing on. Her activities also follow themes based off of children’s literature and different holidays. She provides resources for teachers to teach lessons and assess children’s learning as well.

A Pinch of Kinder is an excellent resource for educators because lessons are based on the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum. The lessons are play-based and very hands on. Many of the ideas are formatted using math invitations with open-ended material, which can be used as manipulatives. This gives children the opportunity to be in charge of their learning. Activities provided are easily adaptable to fit different classroom needs. This educator demonstrates how everyday materials that are found at stores such as Dollarama can be used in many activities to demonstrate different concepts. The posts related to Number Sense are vibrant and easy to follow for children who may not know English.

References

12 Ways to get to 11 is a book written by Eve Merriam and illustrated by Bernie Karlin. This book demonstrates a variety of ways using different quantities of objects to make the number 11. The illustrations on each page follow themes, and are very colorful and clear for children to count to get to 11. The themes are quite inclusive as most children will have seen the images somewhere before. This book may be found at the library for educators to read to the class or a read-along version can be used via YouTube.

 As an educator, I would definitely use this resource once children are comfortable counting to 10. This book can be used to introduce a variety of activities related to methods of representing the number 11. Children may find objects around the class and create a narrative – like in the story – to make the number 11. This story also provides an introduction to the concept of addition. By reading this story as a class, children will be able to follow along and count the images on the pages which are described to make 11. This is a great resource to be kept in any kindergarten classroom.

 References

Merriam, E. (1996) 12 ways to get to 11. Aladdin.

Education.com is a wonderful source for educators who are looking for games to keep in the classroom for children who enjoy using technology. There are numerous games filtered by grade level and subject. Guided lessons are also provided as a framework for educators.  Their page on ‘Number Sense’ provides 24 different games at various levels. The games are visually pleasing and interactive. One game that stood out to me was ‘Counting Pizza Party’ and in this game children are required to make a pizza with the number of toppings indicated.

 This resource is very helpful for children to learn math concepts because it provides an instant assessment of learning. If children put too many toppings, the game prompts them to take away a few. Likewise, if children do not put enough toppings on their pizza, the game prompts them to add more. All the toppings are counted using visual cues to ensure children see that the amount of toppings they chose match the amount required. They may also see and hear the sum of toppings on their pizza, which introduces them to the concept of addition. There are also audio cues within the game for children to listen to the number as many times as needed. Since a method for assessment is provided, this is an excellent resource for children to play with on their own, with opportunities to self-reflect on their learning.

 References

Monster Math Squad is a children’s web series that focuses on learning numbers and other various math concepts. It is rich with colours and thus, engaging to children. The series features 3 monsters as the main characters, who use math concepts to solve problems. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of a math concept. The one I chose focuses on learning numbers from 10 to 15. The characters do so while trying to create a game of hopscotch for a fellow monster friend. The new learned numbers are shown and repeated numerous times for children to follow along. The characters allow children to interact with them by asking questions. The episodes include many small number problems to solve along the way.

 This is an excellent resource for children because it is very colorful. The series does a wonderful job incorporating mathematical language while talking about certain concepts. There is a lot of repetition so that children are continuously being exposed to the math ideas and are able to understand them. This series also demonstrates that math is everywhere in the child’s daily life. The show features a variety of visual cues for children to understand the variety of ways a number can be represented. The characters are humourous and tailored to a young audience. The episodes do not exceed 12 minutes, which is a good amount of time for children to learn concepts while still being engaged.

Primary Press is a blog created by Vickie Plant who is a Kindergarten Teacher in the United States. Her page on numbers is a great source for educators. She provides great tips, such as focusing on one number per week and looking at multiple properties surrounding that number. She has created a resource for educators to teach Number Sense to Kindergarten children. The resource includes a variety of methods for children to decompose numbers and examine the many ways they can be shown.

 This resource supports the learning of Number Sense for Kindergarten children because it provides a visual representation of numbers. Through a variety of images, children will be able to comprehend what each numerical symbol means and represents. There is also a hands-on approach as children are encouraged to use manipulatives, write the numbers and draw them out as well. In addition, there are tools for assessment in this resource that teachers may use to document children’s learning. In my opinion, this is a great resource for parents and families in general who would like to practice activities related to Number Sense with their children at home.