What Are Number Sense & Reasoning Routines — and Why They Matter
First impressions matter! So, it’s important to start each math class with a positive first impression. Number sense and reasoning routines, when done at the start of class do that by being accessible, engaging, and encouraging discourse
Number sense and reasoning routines are short, regular classroom activities designed to engage students in thinking flexibly and efficiently about numbers. Unlike full lessons, these routines are compact (just 5–10 minutes) but powerful. They serve as “math warm-ups”, strengthening students’ numerical intuition, mental strategies, and discourse around numbers.
Why Teachers Should Use Number Sense & Reasoning Routines
If you are considering adding or refining your number sense & reasoning routines, here are strong reasons to do so:
- They are efficient yet powerful: only a few minutes each session but cumulative in impact.
- They shift the classroom culture toward exploration, discourse, and curiosity with numbers.
- They provide continuous formative feedback: you see how students think and can adjust upcoming instruction accordingly.
- They support all learners: routines are accessible but deep, inviting multiple entry points.
- They build and maintain a mathematics community where sharing ideas and having multiple perspectives is the norm in the classroom.
- They help bridge conceptual and procedural fluency — as students reason about number relationships, fluency becomes more meaningful.
- They are sustainable over time: once routines are established, they become a steady backbone of math class rather than extra add-ons.
Spotlight: Steve Wyborney’s Resources as Routines
You don’t have to spend your time creating number sense and reasoning routines for your classroom. Steve Wyborney, a well-known educator and coach, has championed many routines over the years. His blog regularly shares resources like Splat!, Esti-Mysteries, Estimation Clipboards, and Leaping Numbers. (stevewyborney.com)
Here are a few prominent routines from Wyborney’s repertoire, with ideas for how to adopt them in your classroom:
1. Splat!
One of Wyborney’s signature routines is Splat!. In its simplest form, students see a visual display of dots or shapes, part of which is hidden under a “splat,” and they ask, “How many are under the splat?” On his site, Wyborney provides over 50 downloadable Splat! lessons in slide deck format at a variety of grade levels.
2. Esti-Mysteries
The Esti-Mystery is a routine in which students estimate a hidden quantity using clues that narrow possibilities. Over successive clues, they revise their estimations and reasoning. Wyborney publishes new Esti-Mystery puzzles regularly on his blog. (stevewyborney.com)
3. Estimation Clipboard
The Estimation Clipboard is another routine that Wyborney promotes. These are sets of very similar images (e.g. jars of objects, slight variations) shown as a prompt for estimation. Over time, students refine their estimating by comparing the images and justifying their thinking.
The clipboards help students focus on subtle differences in quantity, hone visual number sense, and refine internal benchmarks of magnitude.
4. Leaping Numbers / Pattern Routines
Wyborney also runs Leaping Numbers challenges where students explore patterns and “number jumps.” These help students notice numeric relationships more broadly, beyond just static facts.
Because Steve Wyborney publishes many resources on his blog, teachers can pull fresh puzzles routinely at stevewyborney.com, having more than enough to get you through a school year without needing to look anywhere else.
Practical Suggestion: Pairing Routines with Stations —
One practical way to integrate number sense/reasoning routines is to use them occasionally not just as a whole-group start to the class, but as learning station tasks. For example:
- Students can record reasoning, discuss possible estimates, and then compare reveals.
- Partners can design their own Esti-Mystery (creating clues, setting a hidden quantity, writing their own reveal) to swap with peers. This extension deepens their number reasoning and gives ownership.