10

Assessing and Developing Early

Number Concepts

Working with Kristen

Anne Marie O’Reilly

Although I am an experienced mathematics teacher, I find that every year brings
new challenges that help me think and learn about mathematics in different
ways. Meeting the needs of a broad range of learners is one of my greatest chal-
lenges, particularly with students who are having a difficult time with mathe-
matics. Over the years, I have struggled alongside many of my second graders,
trying to understand how best to help them engage in the mathematics of our
curriculum. At the root of many of my students’ difficulties is the fragility of their
number sense. This year, I’ve been reminded by one of my second graders that a
student’s ability to work independently and take responsibility for her work de-
pends on the development of her number sense.
Before I can figure out how to help a student, I must first understand as much
as I can about what the student knows, how she learns, and what confuses her. I
use student work, informal conversations, and interactions with the child in small
and large groups as assessment techniques. I use this assessment information to
plan appropriate instruction. This year, I have been particularly challenged by
how to best support Kristen, one of my struggling students. Her performance in
both math and reading on standardized tests is significantly below grade level. My
work to assess and teach her has forced me to reexamine how a student’s number
sense develops.

Initial Assessments and Accommodations

During the first few weeks of school, I kept an informal eye on Kristen, along with
the seventeen other students I was getting to know. Kristen often seemed unable
to follow directions and was notably reluctant to engage in classroom discussions.
She never raised her hand. When asked to contribute, she usually declined the