Students with strong number sense understand numbers, ways to represent numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems. They make reasonable estimates, compute fluently, use reasoning strategies, and use visual models based on their number sense to solve problems. Students who never develop strong number sense will struggle with nearly all mathematical strands, from measurement and geometry to data and equations.

This practical book shows that number sense can be taught to all students. It offers a series of routines designed to help young students internalize and deepen their facility with numbers. The daily use of these quick five-, ten-, or fifteen-minute experiences at the beginning of math class will help build students' number sense. Dozens of classroom examples — including conversations among students engaging in number sense routines — illustrate how the routines work, how children's number sense develops, and how to implement responsive routines.