FMT3701 Assignment 2
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE
26 July 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, FMT3701 Assessment 2/2025
QUESTION 1 (42 marks)
1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its development. (3)
Number sense refers to a child’s intuitive understanding of numbers, their relationships,
and how they are affected by operations. In the Foundation Phase, number sense develops
through experiences like counting, comparing quantities, subitising, and engaging in real-
life mathematical situations. It forms the basis for all mathematical learning.
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting, giving two (2) examples for
each. (10)
Verbal counting involves reciting number names in the correct sequence, often without
necessarily connecting them to specific quantities.
Examples:
- A learner recites “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” aloud.
- Singing a number rhyme like “Ten Green Bottles.”
Object counting links number names to actual objects using one-to-one correspondence.
Examples:
- A child counts five apples by pointing to each and saying “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
- Using counters to match numbers to physical quantities.
1.3 Briefly contrast:
1.3.1 Order irrelevance (3): This principle states that the order in which objects are counted
does not affect the total number. For example, counting pencils from left to right or right to
left gives the same result.
1.3.2 Movement is magnitude (3): This refers to the idea that movement along a number
line represents changes in magnitude. Moving right increases value; moving left decreases
value.
1.3.3 Abstraction (3): Abstraction means numbers can represent any collection of items,
regardless of their nature. For example, five apples and five chairs are both sets of “five”
despite being different objects.
1.4 Analyse the different structures of mathematical problems that Foundation
Phase learners need to explore. (10)
Foundation Phase learners should engage with a variety of problem structures, including:
- Join problems: Combining two sets (e.g., 3 apples + 2 apples = ?).
- Separate problems: Taking away from a set (e.g., 5 pencils – 2 pencils = ?).
- Part-part-whole problems: Understanding how quantities relate (e.g., 4 and ? make 7).
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE
26 July 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, FMT3701 Assessment 2/2025
QUESTION 1 (42 marks)
1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its development. (3)
Number sense refers to a child’s intuitive understanding of numbers, their relationships,
and how they are affected by operations. In the Foundation Phase, number sense develops
through experiences like counting, comparing quantities, subitising, and engaging in real-
life mathematical situations. It forms the basis for all mathematical learning.
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting, giving two (2) examples for
each. (10)
Verbal counting involves reciting number names in the correct sequence, often without
necessarily connecting them to specific quantities.
Examples:
- A learner recites “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” aloud.
- Singing a number rhyme like “Ten Green Bottles.”
Object counting links number names to actual objects using one-to-one correspondence.
Examples:
- A child counts five apples by pointing to each and saying “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
- Using counters to match numbers to physical quantities.
1.3 Briefly contrast:
1.3.1 Order irrelevance (3): This principle states that the order in which objects are counted
does not affect the total number. For example, counting pencils from left to right or right to
left gives the same result.
1.3.2 Movement is magnitude (3): This refers to the idea that movement along a number
line represents changes in magnitude. Moving right increases value; moving left decreases
value.
1.3.3 Abstraction (3): Abstraction means numbers can represent any collection of items,
regardless of their nature. For example, five apples and five chairs are both sets of “five”
despite being different objects.
1.4 Analyse the different structures of mathematical problems that Foundation
Phase learners need to explore. (10)
Foundation Phase learners should engage with a variety of problem structures, including:
- Join problems: Combining two sets (e.g., 3 apples + 2 apples = ?).
- Separate problems: Taking away from a set (e.g., 5 pencils – 2 pencils = ?).
- Part-part-whole problems: Understanding how quantities relate (e.g., 4 and ? make 7).
