Number Talks

Janice Novakowski discusses the high yield routine of Number Talks and what it may look like in your classroom.

What is it?

There are a variety of styles of Number Talks. Teachers can choose to use, picture number talks, dot talks or number or the day.

Number talks promote a focus on slowing down student urge to get the "right answer" and focuses on celebrating a variety of ways to "see" a number. Number Talks provide the opportunity for students to strengthen mental math strategies, practice flexible thinking around number and learn from their peers. The wide Variety of number Talks available allow teachers to access competencies and content at the same time in an authentic way.

Different Styles of Number Talks

Numberless Word Problems

Same and Different

Number Talk Images

Which One Doesn't Belong

Unit Chats

Estimation 180 Talks

Fraction Talks

Why should I do it?

Some potential learning intentions for curricular competencies include:

Reasoning and Analyzing - Describing a variety of ways to see a number, dot arrangement, a picture,
Understanding and Solving - Decomposing a number in a variety of ways, thinking flexibly to solve a given problem independently or with a peer.
Communicating and Representing - Communicating thinking with peers and whole class using mathematical language, recording thinking in math journals or during whole class number talks.

Would You Rather

Berekeley Everett Images