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FMT3701 Assignment
2 (100% ANSWERS)
2025 - DUE 26 July
2025
NO PLAGIARISM
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
,Exam (elaborations)
FMT3701 Assignment 2 (100% ANSWERS)
2025 - DUE 26 July 2025
Course
Foundation Phase Mathematics (FMT3701)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Book
Teaching Foundation Phase Mathematics
FMT3701 Assignment 2 (100% ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 26 July 2025
QUESTION 1 (42 marks) 1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its
development. (3)
1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its development (3 marks)
Number sense refers to a learner’s ability to understand, relate, and work with numbers in a
flexible and meaningful way. It includes skills like:
Understanding the value of numbers (e.g., knowing that 5 is smaller than 8),
Recognising number patterns,
Estimating and mentally calculating,
Understanding how numbers can be broken apart and put back together (e.g., 7 = 3 + 4 or
10 – 3).
Development of number sense begins in the early years and grows through:
Concrete experiences (e.g., using counters, blocks, or fingers),
Exploration and discussion of different strategies for solving problems,
Meaningful practice that connects number ideas to real-life situations,
Progression from concrete to abstract thinking, allowing learners to reason about
numbers without physical objects.
✅ Summary: Number sense is the foundation of mathematical thinking, and it develops
through hands-on experiences, practice, and opportunities to explore numbers in different ways.
,Number sense is a fundamental concept in mathematics that goes beyond just knowing how to
count or do calculations. It's about having an intuitive understanding of numbers and their
relationships.
Here's a breakdown for an Intermediate Phase learner:
What is "Number Sense"?
Imagine you have a handful of sweets.
Counting them tells you how many you have (e.g., 8 sweets).
Adding tells you if you combine them with more (e.g., 8 + 2 = 10 sweets).
Number sense is a feeling or an understanding about those sweets. It's knowing things
like:
o 8 sweets is more than 5 sweets, but less than 10 sweets.
o If you share 8 sweets with a friend, you'll each get a fair amount.
o If you have 8 sweets and someone offers you 10 more, you know you'll have a lot
more.
o You can easily tell if someone quickly throws 3 sweets or 7 sweets on the table,
without counting them one by one.
So, number sense is like having a "feel" for numbers. It means you:
Understand the size of numbers (Is 50 a lot or a little?).
Understand how numbers relate to each other (Is 9 just before 10, or is 99 just before
100?).
Can break apart and put together numbers in different ways (e.g., 10 can be 5+5, or
6+4, or 12-2).
Can make reasonable estimates (About how many people are in that room?).
Can work with numbers flexibly in your head.
How does "Number Sense" develop?
Number sense isn't something you're born with, and it's not taught in one single lesson. It
develops over time, like building blocks, through lots of different experiences:
1. Early Experiences (Foundation):
o Counting: Starting with saying number names in order (one, two, three).
o One-to-one correspondence: Touching each object as you count it, making sure
you don't skip any or count any twice.
o Subitising: This is when you can instantly tell how many items are in a small
group without counting them (like knowing there are 3 dots on a dice just by
looking).
o Comparing: Understanding "more than," "less than," and "equal to."
2. Exploring Numbers (Building Blocks):
, Number lines: Using a number line helps you see that numbers have a specific
o
order and space between them. You can see that 7 is closer to 5 than to 10.
o Manipulatives: Using objects like blocks, beads, or counters to show numbers
and how they combine or separate.
o Composing and Decomposing Numbers: Learning that numbers can be made up
in different ways (e.g., 7 can be 3 and 4, or 5 and 2). This helps with mental math
later.
3. Real-World Connections (Putting it all together):
o Everyday situations: Using numbers in daily life, like sharing toys, splitting
food, measuring ingredients for baking, telling time, or figuring out change when
buying something.
o Estimation: Guessing "about how many" or "about how much" before counting
or measuring. This helps you think about the size of numbers.
o Problem-solving: Solving problems that require you to think flexibly about
numbers, not just follow a rigid rule.
The more a learner interacts with numbers in meaningful ways, sees them represented in
different forms (like words, symbols, objects, pictures), and uses them to solve real problems, the
stronger their number sense becomes. It helps them understand why math works, not just how to
do it.
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting giving, two (2) examples
for each (10)
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting, giving two (2) examples for
each (10 marks)
✅ Verbal Counting
Definition:
Verbal counting is when a learner recites number names in order (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4…), without
necessarily understanding the quantity each number represents.
Purpose:
It focuses on learning the sequence of numbers, not the actual counting of objects.
Examples:
FMT3701 Assignment
2 (100% ANSWERS)
2025 - DUE 26 July
2025
NO PLAGIARISM
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
,Exam (elaborations)
FMT3701 Assignment 2 (100% ANSWERS)
2025 - DUE 26 July 2025
Course
Foundation Phase Mathematics (FMT3701)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Book
Teaching Foundation Phase Mathematics
FMT3701 Assignment 2 (100% ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 26 July 2025
QUESTION 1 (42 marks) 1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its
development. (3)
1.1 Explain the concept “number sense” and its development (3 marks)
Number sense refers to a learner’s ability to understand, relate, and work with numbers in a
flexible and meaningful way. It includes skills like:
Understanding the value of numbers (e.g., knowing that 5 is smaller than 8),
Recognising number patterns,
Estimating and mentally calculating,
Understanding how numbers can be broken apart and put back together (e.g., 7 = 3 + 4 or
10 – 3).
Development of number sense begins in the early years and grows through:
Concrete experiences (e.g., using counters, blocks, or fingers),
Exploration and discussion of different strategies for solving problems,
Meaningful practice that connects number ideas to real-life situations,
Progression from concrete to abstract thinking, allowing learners to reason about
numbers without physical objects.
✅ Summary: Number sense is the foundation of mathematical thinking, and it develops
through hands-on experiences, practice, and opportunities to explore numbers in different ways.
,Number sense is a fundamental concept in mathematics that goes beyond just knowing how to
count or do calculations. It's about having an intuitive understanding of numbers and their
relationships.
Here's a breakdown for an Intermediate Phase learner:
What is "Number Sense"?
Imagine you have a handful of sweets.
Counting them tells you how many you have (e.g., 8 sweets).
Adding tells you if you combine them with more (e.g., 8 + 2 = 10 sweets).
Number sense is a feeling or an understanding about those sweets. It's knowing things
like:
o 8 sweets is more than 5 sweets, but less than 10 sweets.
o If you share 8 sweets with a friend, you'll each get a fair amount.
o If you have 8 sweets and someone offers you 10 more, you know you'll have a lot
more.
o You can easily tell if someone quickly throws 3 sweets or 7 sweets on the table,
without counting them one by one.
So, number sense is like having a "feel" for numbers. It means you:
Understand the size of numbers (Is 50 a lot or a little?).
Understand how numbers relate to each other (Is 9 just before 10, or is 99 just before
100?).
Can break apart and put together numbers in different ways (e.g., 10 can be 5+5, or
6+4, or 12-2).
Can make reasonable estimates (About how many people are in that room?).
Can work with numbers flexibly in your head.
How does "Number Sense" develop?
Number sense isn't something you're born with, and it's not taught in one single lesson. It
develops over time, like building blocks, through lots of different experiences:
1. Early Experiences (Foundation):
o Counting: Starting with saying number names in order (one, two, three).
o One-to-one correspondence: Touching each object as you count it, making sure
you don't skip any or count any twice.
o Subitising: This is when you can instantly tell how many items are in a small
group without counting them (like knowing there are 3 dots on a dice just by
looking).
o Comparing: Understanding "more than," "less than," and "equal to."
2. Exploring Numbers (Building Blocks):
, Number lines: Using a number line helps you see that numbers have a specific
o
order and space between them. You can see that 7 is closer to 5 than to 10.
o Manipulatives: Using objects like blocks, beads, or counters to show numbers
and how they combine or separate.
o Composing and Decomposing Numbers: Learning that numbers can be made up
in different ways (e.g., 7 can be 3 and 4, or 5 and 2). This helps with mental math
later.
3. Real-World Connections (Putting it all together):
o Everyday situations: Using numbers in daily life, like sharing toys, splitting
food, measuring ingredients for baking, telling time, or figuring out change when
buying something.
o Estimation: Guessing "about how many" or "about how much" before counting
or measuring. This helps you think about the size of numbers.
o Problem-solving: Solving problems that require you to think flexibly about
numbers, not just follow a rigid rule.
The more a learner interacts with numbers in meaningful ways, sees them represented in
different forms (like words, symbols, objects, pictures), and uses them to solve real problems, the
stronger their number sense becomes. It helps them understand why math works, not just how to
do it.
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting giving, two (2) examples
for each (10)
1.2 Distinguish between verbal and object counting, giving two (2) examples for
each (10 marks)
✅ Verbal Counting
Definition:
Verbal counting is when a learner recites number names in order (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4…), without
necessarily understanding the quantity each number represents.
Purpose:
It focuses on learning the sequence of numbers, not the actual counting of objects.
Examples:
