Number Conservation
Number Conservation:
The counting and quantity principle referring to the understanding that the count for a set group of objects stays the same no matter whether they are spread out or close together.
Videos for Educators
Important Information:
Conservation of numbers means that a child is able to understand that the number of objects remains the same even when rearranged. Before age 7 children believe that the number of objects increases or decreases just by moving the objects around. Conservation of number is something that comes with experience and maturity. Children who do not have conservation of numbers are not ready for addition and subtraction
Strategies to Support Student Learning
It is all too common that we rush towards symbols in mathematics and counting is no different. Help children develop a firm grasp of the quantity associated with each number concretely before we formally introduce the symbolic form of number.
Things You Can Do In The Classroom
Games (Click Links Below)
This game promotes the foundation for strategy of up/down over 10. Students work on naming all of the pairs of number that make up the target number. (Lawson, Pg 169)
In this game, students take turns playing I Spy with target numbers. It is played like the traditional game but students must identify two cards that when added together make the target number. (Lawson, Pg 169)
In this game students match pairs of cards in their hand to a sum on one of the dominos. Students work on adding two numbers together to reach each target number on the dominos. (Lawson, Pg 170)
Students organize the cards in their and look for pairs of cards that make 10. Students continue to play the game the same way the traditional version is played but instead of asking for a card to make a pair, they are searching for a number to make 10. (Lawson, Pg 171)
In this game, students create an array with playing cards. Students take turns flipping over two cards, with the hope of turning over two cards with the sum of 10. (Lawson, Pg 172)
Players try to make ten by matching a card from their hand with one of the four cards placed in the middle of the game space. Players continue to take turns until all cards have been dealt and played. (Lawson, Pg 174)
All games and activities located above are directly linked. Some can be found in the Alex Lawson What to Look For Resource. Page locations have been included in the description of each activity.