Number sense in elementary school children

the uses and meanings given to numbers in different investigative situations

Alina Galvão Spinillo

pp. 639-650

in: Gabriele Kaiser, Helen Forgasz, Mellony Graven, Alain Kuzniak, Elaine Simmt, Binyan Xu (eds), Invited lectures from the 13th international congress on mathematical education, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

This research investigated number sense in second grade Brazilian children (7–8 years old) from different social backgrounds. Study 1 (interview) aimed to identify the general uses given to numbers by children in everyday life situations. Study 2 (multiple choice tasks) examined how children assign meaning to numbers by asking the participants to make judgments about numerical situations involving both numbers and measurement and to provide justifications for their responses. The uses given to numbers in Study 1 were classified into different types: school uses, outside school uses, intellectual abilities and professional uses. The data in Study 2 were analysed according to correct responses and the types of justifications given. Both studies showed that there are some differences between children from different social backgrounds. On the whole, the children presented number sense that needs to be taken into account in the school setting.