In number talks, students use mental computation for problem-solving and reflect on strategies shared by peers. This process of discussing and justifying mathematical thinking helps them explore various approaches and assess their effectiveness. Brief daily sessions enhance students' conceptual understanding, number sense and mental computation skills.
A number talk might go like this:
*Present a problem.
*Give student thinking time to solve the problem mentally.
*You might give time for them to share with a partner.
*Obtain answers and write them on the board.
*Select students to share their strategies and write them on the board.
*You might use signals like a thumb up or fingers showing to indicate they have a solution, or how many methods they can use to arrive at an answer.
*You can give a number of problems in the same session, and one might build on the previous with similar problems, and possibly larger numbers.
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