Children’s first encounters with math usually happen at the breakfast table or on the playground, not in a classroom. Developmental scientists have long known that these everyday experiences – like counting blocks or footsteps to the front door – nurture an intuitive sense of quantity.
According to a comprehensive report, a strong “number sense” builds arithmetic fluency, which later supports success in algebra, geometry, and adult earnings.
Yet the route from cereal-box counting to fluent calculation has been hotly debated: Should teachers focus on memorizing multiplication tables, or on fostering deeper conceptual reasoning? The new review concludes that the debate sets up a false choice.