Number Talks Building student’s communication and number sense

Number TalksNumber Talks

Building student’s communication and

number sense

Building student’s communication and

number sense

What are Number Talks?What are Number Talks?

A vehicle for developing efficient, flexible and accurate computation strategies that build upon the key foundational ideas of mathematics such as composition and decomposition of numbers, our system of tens and application of properties.

A vehicle for developing efficient, flexible and accurate computation strategies that build upon the key foundational ideas of mathematics such as composition and decomposition of numbers, our system of tens and application of properties.


Classroom conversations and discussions around purposefully crafted computation problems .

Classroom conversations and discussions around purposefully crafted computation problems .


Opportunities for the class to come together to share their mathematical thinking.

Opportunities for the class to come together to share their mathematical thinking.


Problems designed to elicit specific strategies that focus on number relationships and number theory.

Problems designed to elicit specific strategies that focus on number relationships and number theory.


Problems designed for students to solve mentally with accuracy, efficiency and flexibility.

Problems designed for students to solve mentally with accuracy, efficiency and flexibility.


Opportunities for students to share and defend their solutions and strategies and collectively reason about numbers while building connections to key mathematical concepts.

Opportunities for students to share and defend their solutions and strategies and collectively reason about numbers while building connections to key mathematical concepts.


Mathematical discussions conducted in five to fifteen minutes.

Mathematical discussions conducted in five to fifteen minutes.

Rationale for Number TalksRationale for Number Talks

Our classrooms are filled with students and adults who think of math rules and procedures to memorize without understanding the numerical relationships that provide the foundation for these rules.

Our classrooms are filled with students and adults who think of math rules and procedures to memorize without understanding the numerical relationships that provide the foundation for these rules.


Teaching math has been viewed as a discrete set of rules and procedures to be implemented with speed and accuracy but without necessarily understanding the logic.

Teaching math has been viewed as a discrete set of rules and procedures to be implemented with speed and accuracy but without necessarily understanding the logic.


Today’s students often elect not to pursue more complex math courses and careers after negative experiences with earlier mathematics.

Today’s students often elect not to pursue more complex math courses and careers after negative experiences with earlier mathematics.


Their foundation based on memorization crumbles when they are called upon to generalize arithmetic relationships in algebra courses.

Their foundation based on memorization crumbles when they are called upon to generalize arithmetic relationships in algebra courses.

Key Components of Number Talks

Key Components of Number Talks

Classroom environment and community

Classroom discussion The teacher’s role The role of mental math Purposeful computation problems.

Classroom environment and community

Classroom discussion The teacher’s role The role of mental math Purposeful computation problems.

Documents

Number Talks Building student’s communication and number sense