number sense
An intuitive understanding of numbers, their magnitude, relationships, and how they are affected by operations.
Additional information
Development of number sense helps a child learn to solve problems conceptually rather than procedurally. Specific skills and topics related to number sense include place value, mental artithmetic, and estimation.
Examples and resources
- The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provides a guide to "Understanding a Child’s Development of Number Sense", with videos of children at various stages of understanding.
- See Lisa Carboni’s article "Number Sense Every Day" (available from LEARN NC) for another discussion of number sense.
