Underlying both declarative and procedural knowledge in mathematics is a type of understanding typically called number sense. While several definitions of number sense can be found (see, for instance, NCTM Standards 2004 or Case 1998), academics generally agree that it involves an awareness of number names, values, and relationships. Children with number sense recognize the relative differences in number quantity and how those differences can be represented. Number sense gives meaning both to an automatic math fact and to a computational procedure. Gersten and Chard roughly compare the importance of number sense in computation to the need for phonemic awareness in reading (Gersten & Chard, 1999). Both are critical building blocks. Garnett describes a typical hierarchy of procedures, or strategies, that rests upon number sense and leads eventually to automatic recall (Garnett, 1992). All elements—number sense, procedural knowledge, and declarative knowledge — must be developed together to achieve full math fact fluency.
REFERENCES