EDU 330 Elementary Mathematics-Dionne Heng: F) Reflect on Practice : Number Sense

After reading the chapter and much reflection, I do agree with Van De Walle, J. (2009, p129) that he mentioned “Children continue to develop number sense as they begin to use numbers in operations, build an understanding of place value, and devise flexible methods of computing and making estimates involving large numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents.”

However, children in preschool are taught numbers from 1 to 100 by kindergarten 2. As mentioned in the text, soon after children learned number 1 to 20, it as moved quickly to addition and subtraction instead of more exposure to other number operations such as part-part-whole relationship, counting on and back, more & less, and estimation, etc. Most of the time, mathematics is a subject with not much focus and teacher will go through concept after concept without much polishing of the skills learnt after each concept.

Counting activity for the 4 years old

Activities already commonly practice in pre-school:

1) Early counting

2) Writing numerals and recognition

3) Less/more/same activity

Activities that are not common practice in pre-school:

1) Doubles and near-doubles

2) Anchoring numbers to 5 and 10

Though some preschool curriculum touches on 1) Counting on/back, 2) part-part-whole or 3) More than/Less than, but it is not given much practices and focus. Most of the time, it was introduced to the children on those topics and move on to another new topic. Only when children are given more hands-on activities and practices related to a new concept, they will connect with the concept and have the understanding. Having more learning centres activities may assist their own connection but teachers always lacked the time to prepare such corners.