Kindergarten children's number sense development through board games

Number sense lays the foundation for children's later mathematical achievement. In practice, however, preschool children could mechanically count or even add and subtract as a result of practice and drilling, yet hardly understand what numbers mean and their relationships. In other words, children "do" math without understanding numbers. The current study explores the possibility of teaching number sense to 5-year-old kindergarten children using a strategically designed board game. A mixed design incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted. The effect of the board game on children's number sense improvement was examined using a small scale experimental design. Teacher's scaffolding and children's peer tutoring during the play sessions were discussed. The study shed light on how to implement number sense teaching with a play-based pedagogy. Copyright © 2010 Common Ground, Zhenlin Wang, Lai Ming Hung, All Rights Reserved.