Principles and Practice of Assessment: Whole Number Assessment Report

This assignment focuses on the principles and practices of assessing whole number understanding in a mathematics course. It explores various assessment methods for evaluating students' grasp of place value, reading, writing, and ordering whole numbers from 100 to 200 and beyond. The assignment emphasizes the importance of understanding place values for comprehending number patterns, comparing numbers, and performing mental math calculations. It details the use of expanded notation, worksheets, and games as assessment tools to evaluate students' ability to compare numbers, add, subtract, and solve number problems. The assignment also highlights the role of mental math in improving arithmetic skills, enhancing concentration, developing logical thinking, and identifying students' understanding of whole numbers. References to relevant literature are included to support the assessment strategies discussed.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ASSESSMENT
Principles and Practice of Assessment Course Assessment

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ASSESSMENT COURSE ASSESSMENT 2
Principles and Practice of Assessment Course Assessment
Use of place value to represent, read, or order whole numbers from 100 to 200 and beyond
Q: How does using place values help students grasp whole number reading, writing and
ordering for numbers from 100 to 200 and beyond?
This approach will test advanced level understanding rather than just focusing on
practice; it is common to have students practice writing whole numbers beyond 100 and 200 and
beyond; however, practice does not necessarily lead to understanding. Many teachers can tell
students to practice more so that a concept becomes clear, in the belief that not doing many
‘practice’ problems is causing the deficiency. It is difficult to do many problems if learner does
not understand them in the first place. This will help show what the students do not understand-
place values are very important for higher whole numbers to help students understand what a
number means and also understand the order of numbers (Nunes, Dorneles, LIN & Rathgeb-
Schnierer, 2016). Understanding place values for numbers helps the learner understand patterns,
such as repeating numbers in a 100 to 500 number chart and they will also be able to compare
two and three digit numbers.
Recording numbers using expanded notation such as by asking students to write a number
in several different ways in order to solve puzzles and number problems; this can also
include having a blank numbers puzzle that the students fill.
Q: How does writing a number in different forms using puzzles help students learn
expanded whole numbers notations?
This is an important assessment exercise because several different things can be
expressed differently using a single number; for example 7 hours, the magnificent 7, 7 degrees, 7
years. However, numbers are expressed in many different ways, as rational numbers, mixed
numbers, fractions, and finite decimals. These kinds of numbers are less intuitive and so students
need to better understand them in order to calculate such different expressions of numbers easily
(Jastrzębowska, 2017). Mathematics is about making measurements, and this is a bridge
between geometry and number; but is all expression of a number in different ways. This

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ASSESSMENT COURSE ASSESSMENT 3
assessment exercise ensures students understand and grasp different number systems and it will
help in evaluating the skill of counting, starting with whole numbers (Powell & Fuchs, 2012).
Practicing mental math with multiplication in order to assess and evaluate the
multiplication of two digit numbers by 10.
Q: How dos mental math improve learners’ arithmetic skills?
Outside of the classroom, most mathematical calculations are done mentally, such as
when shopping, or counting bus fare or making metric conversions. Mental math assessment
also helps identify levels of concentration in the learners as well as listening skills. It helps
develop logical thinking in the learners’ minds as they prepare for bigger roles in life. It helps
sharpen the brain of the learners and more efficient and is responsible for improving other skill
sets in the learners, such as critical thinking and analytical skills. The assessment shows if the
learners have internalized and understood whole numbers and their sense of whole numbers as
this contributes to the ability of the learner to understand relationships existing between
quantities and developing logical thinking (Hoffman, 2010).
Use worksheets for assessing comparing three digit numbers, use < and > signs, and find a
number in between.
How do using worksheets as teaching aids enhance learners’ ability to compare numbers?
This assessment has the value of identifying the ability of learners to compare three digit
numbers through the use of more than and less than signs. While understanding number
meanings is good, the learners ought to develop a sense of what a number means (number
values) for whole numbers above 100 which can be confusing for the learner. The worksheets
with missing numbers will help the leaners understand and this is an interactive way to improve
and evaluate their skills in comparing numbers by enabling them to think critically and exercise
their understanding of whole number, their meanings, and the different ways in which they can
be written with different meanings (Gilmore, McCarthy & Spelke, 2010).
Use games and worksheets to assess students’ ability to add and subtract pairs of two digit
numbers

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ASSESSMENT COURSE ASSESSMENT 4
Q: Do games help help enhance learning arithmetic in young learners?
This is a useful tool for assessing the number sense among children and it is a student
centered approach that is also participatory. The items help students’ engagement to be
stimulated and increase their participation, a process that is effective in enhancing understanding
rather than just engaging I regular practice. When done in pairs, it helps students take initiative
and improves participatory learning, as well as early development of social skills. It helps the
teacher know the numeracy competency of the learners and this is important because it ensures
students have the necessary numeracy and number sense skills before moving on to more
complex math tasks . It helps in understanding how well the students understand numerals and
numbers in general and will help the teacher develop methods of improving the competencies of
students with difficulties (Powell & Fuchs, 2012).
The different items have been chosen to provide a holistic assessment approach that helps
identify different and varying skills among learners.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ASSESSMENT COURSE ASSESSMENT 5
References
Garlikov, R. The Concept and Teaching of Place-Value in Math. Retrieved from
http://www.garlikov.com/PlaceValue.html
Gilmore, C., McCarthy, S., & Spelke, E. (2010). Non-symbolic arithmetic abilities and
mathematics achievement in the first year of formal schooling. Cognition, 115(3), 394-
406. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2010.02.002
Hoffman, B. (2010). “I think I can, but I'm afraid to try”: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and
mathematics anxiety in mathematics problem-solving efficiency. Learning And
Individual Differences, 20(3), 276-283. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2010.02.001
Jastrzębowska, K. (2017). [Mathematical mindsets, unleashing students' potential through
creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching - recenzja] (1st ed.).
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Nunes, T., Dorneles, B., LIN, P., & Rathgeb-Schnierer, E. (2016). Teaching and Learning about
Whole Numbers in Primary School (1st ed., p. 15). New York: Springer.
Powell, S., & Fuchs, L. (2012). Early Numerical Competencies and Students with Mathematics
Difficulty. Focus On Exceptional Children, 44(5). doi: 10.17161/fec.v44i5.6686